Pearson Airport will say goodbye to Terminal 2 at 11:59 p.m. Monday, about two-and-a-half hours after the last flight took off from the aging terminal. Its closure will mark the start of a new era in a modern facility.
Terminal 2's final flight will taxi away at 9:30 p.m. The 35-year-old facility will then close its doors and flights will instead use Terminal 1 Pier F, a high-tech replacement featuring the latest in security technology and designed to make connections easier for travellers.
Starting on Tuesday, the new extension to Terminal 1 will handle flights for Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz and Air Canada Vacations arriving or departing on U.S. flights.
It marks the first time in many years that all the airline's operations will be under the same roof in the Toronto hub airport.
The new $800 million facility boasts a long list of features, including:
- The largest duty free store in Canada (10,000 square feet);
- In-transit pre-clearance allowing passengers from international flights and destined to the U.S. to go directly to U.S. Customs;
- Satellite customs facilities to allow people entering Canada to avoid the main Customs Hall;
- Six temporary art exhibition spaces;
- Four new permanent collections of artwork;
- Fifty-six check-in counters for international passengers;
- Seventy-eight check-in counters for trans-border passengers;
- Nearly 700 linear metres of moving walkways; and
- A lighting system that automatically adjusts based on the amount of available natural light.
Demolition of Terminal 2 is slated to begin in April. The building materials will be recycled in a project that will take 18 months to complete.
With files from The Canadian Press
