Private jets cannot use Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport: the 1983 tripartite agreement bans jet aircraft except medevac flights, and operating hours are 6:45 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Private flights there are turboprops, handled by FBOs such as Porter FBO at Hangar 6. Cars meet passengers on the mainland at Eireann Quay; downtown Hamilton is about 70 km, 55–80 min, sedan $275–340 all-in plus HST.
Billy Bishop private jet: the short answer is no jets
People search for "Billy Bishop private jet" because the island airport is minutes from Bay Street, and it would be perfect for a jet. It is not allowed. Our Billy Bishop private aviation car service page explains how we meet turboprop passengers at the FBO; this post explains the rules behind the question, what flies there instead, and how to plan ground transport when your aircraft is a jet and must land elsewhere.
The airport operates under a tripartite agreement signed in 1983 by the federal government, the City of Toronto and what is now PortsToronto. It bans jet aircraft, with an exception for medevac flights, and sets the airport's hours at 6:45 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Proposals to allow jets have been debated publicly several times; as of our check on 30 September 2026 the ban remains. Always confirm the current position with your operator, and see billybishopairport.com for the airport's own information.
What does fly privately into the island
Turboprops: the single- and twin-engine business aircraft common on short Canadian and cross-border hops, plus charter turboprops and medevac flights. Porter's own airline fleet shares the field. For a principal flying from Ottawa, Montreal, northern Ontario or a nearby US city, a turboprop into the island can land them closer to a downtown meeting than any jet could. The trade-off is a smaller cabin and fewer bags.
Island, Pearson or Hamilton: which fits your trip?
| Trip | Best field | Car from field | Distance / time | Sedan planning range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Toronto meetings, turboprop | Billy Bishop | Mainland pickup | a few km to Bay St, traffic-dependent | quoted by the engine |
| Downtown Toronto, jet | Pearson | FBO pickup | about 25–30 km, traffic-dependent | quoted by the engine |
| Downtown Hamilton | Hamilton (YHM) | FBO pickup | 15 km, 20–25 min | $90–115 |
| Downtown Hamilton from the island | Billy Bishop | Eireann Quay | 70 km, 55–80 min | $275–340 |
| Downtown Hamilton from Pearson | Pearson | FBO pickup | 70 km, 45–65 min | $245–300 |
| Burlington from the island | Billy Bishop | Eireann Quay | 55 km, 45–65 min | $225–275 |
Fares are planning ranges, one way, all-in (chauffeur, fuel, 407 tolls if used, gratuity) plus HST. For jets into Pearson, see private jet to Toronto: Pearson FBO pickups.
Porter FBO and the hangar
When checked on 30 September 2026, Porter FBO listed Hangar 6 at Billy Bishop, open 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day, with a lounge, meeting rooms, crew facilities and a complimentary passenger shuttle. Other handling arrangements exist on the island. Whatever the FBO, it decides how passengers and bags move between the hangar and the mainland; we confirm the meeting point with the desk before the day.
Timing your flight around the airport's hours
The hours matter more for private flights than people expect. A turboprop that cannot land before 11:00 p.m. is diverted, usually to Pearson or Hamilton, and an early-morning plan cannot land before 6:45 a.m. If your principal's schedule is tight at either end of the day, ask the operator about the margin. When a flight diverts, we move the car to the new FBO and price the new address; we do not charge for an empty trip to the waterfront.
From the hangar to the car
Airline passengers use the pedestrian tunnel or the ferry to reach the mainland pavilion. Private passengers follow the FBO's arrangements instead. By default our chauffeur waits at the mainland pickup area on Eireann Quay, at the foot of Bathurst Street, and messages the lead passenger when in position. If the FBO has arranged a different door or an escorted vehicle, dispatch confirms it the day before and the chauffeur follows it exactly. Our Eireann Quay pickup post describes the pavilion area for airline passengers, which is the same curb.
A downtown-then-Hamilton day
A principal lands a turboprop from Montreal at 7:30 a.m. for two Bay Street meetings, lunch near the waterfront and an afternoon site visit in Hamilton, then flies home from the island at 7:00 p.m.
- 7:30 a.m. — Block-in; domestic flight, 30 minutes of included waiting.
- 7:50 a.m. — Car from Eireann Quay to the financial district.
- 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. — Meetings; car waits nearby.
- 12:00 p.m. — Lunch near the waterfront.
- 1:15 p.m. — West on the Gardiner and QEW to Hamilton, 70 km, about 60 minutes at midday.
- 2:30–4:30 p.m. — Site visit.
- 4:45 p.m. — Back east; allow 80–100 minutes in the evening peak.
- 6:25 p.m. — Eireann Quay for a 7:00 p.m. departure.
About 11 hours of hourly chauffeur service in a first-class sedan: $3,135–3,850 all-in plus HST. The evening leg is the risk; if the meeting in Hamilton runs long, landing back at the island before 11:00 p.m. becomes the deadline, and the crew needs to know early.
When a jet principal wants a downtown meeting
If the aircraft is a jet, it lands at Pearson. From a Pearson FBO to the financial district, the drive depends on the hour; the 427 and the Gardiner are quick at 10:00 a.m. and slow at 8:30 a.m. Book an hourly car from the FBO and let the chauffeur choose the route. For a Hamilton-bound jet trip, land at YHM instead and skip Toronto traffic entirely.
Crews and the island
Turboprop crews often fly several legs in a day and overnight in downtown hotels near the waterfront. Crew cars are one-way bookings tied to duty times; a sedan from Eireann Quay to a downtown hotel is quoted by the engine, and crews repositioning to Hamilton pay the island-to-Hamilton range above. Our downtown Toronto hotels page covers lobby pickups.
Weather on the harbour
The island's weather is the lake's weather: fog, low cloud and strong spring and autumn winds can delay or divert turboprops. Delays count against the 11:00 p.m. limit. The chauffeur watches the flight and the FBO's updates and keeps the lead passenger informed by message.
Who books the island car
Executive assistants, charter brokers and flight departments usually book for the passenger. Put the tail number, the FBO, the trip reference and the lead passenger's mobile in the booking notes and ask for confirmations to go to both of you. Dispatch agrees the mainland meeting point with the FBO desk, so the booker does not have to. Regular users can open a corporate account and receive one monthly statement for all ground legs.
Connecting with trains
Union Station is a short drive east of the island, and some principals arrive by turboprop and leave by train, or the reverse. An hourly car can bridge the two; see our Union Station page for the pickup points there. For a straight transfer from the island to Hamilton without stops, our Hamilton to Billy Bishop route page covers the road.
Customs on private arrivals
Private flights from the United States report to the Canada Border Services Agency through the crew, using CBSA's telephone reporting process or the CANPASS Private Aircraft programme. Passengers stay with the FBO until the crew confirms clearance. The chauffeur waits on the mainland with 60 minutes included from block-in on international arrivals.
Choosing the car for a turboprop party
Turboprop cabins seat roughly four to nine passengers, and bags are limited, so the vehicle choice is usually simple. A first-class sedan suits one or two principals with briefcases; an executive SUV suits up to six with garment bags; a Sprinter suits a full cabin travelling together to a site visit; a Jet Sprinter, a VIP lounge for up to seven, lets a board keep meeting on the way, at $650–750 an hour. Tell dispatch the passenger and bag count anyway. On the mainland at Eireann Quay, a larger vehicle also makes loading faster at a busy curb where taxis and airline passengers share the space.
Why the jet question keeps coming back
The island airport's location is its whole appeal, and every few years the idea of allowing jets returns to public debate. Changing the rules would need all three parties to the agreement to agree, alongside runway and noise questions, and the federal government has declined to allow jets when asked in recent years. For planning purposes, treat the ban as permanent until the airport itself says otherwise, and plan jet trips into Pearson or Hamilton. For a principal who insists on the island, the operator can often suggest a turboprop charter for the Toronto leg.
Returning to the island for the evening flight
The return is where island plans go wrong. Downtown traffic between 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. is slow in every direction, Bathurst Street near the waterfront can back up when events let out at the stadiums and Exhibition Place, and the flight has a hard limit at 11:00 p.m. Ask the crew for the time passengers should reach the FBO, then give dispatch that time and the pickup address; the chauffeur works backwards with live traffic. Coming from Hamilton, leave by 4:30 p.m. for a 7:00 p.m. departure, and earlier on a Friday or in snow. From Burlington it is about 55 km and 45–65 minutes to Eireann Quay.
Mistakes to avoid at the island
- Planning a jet into Billy Bishop. It will not be allowed; plan Pearson or Hamilton.
- Scheduling a late return after 10:30 p.m. Any delay risks the 11:00 p.m. limit.
- Sending the car onto the island. Cars wait on the mainland unless the FBO arranges otherwise.
- Forgetting bag limits. Turboprop cabins are small; ask the operator before a shopping trip.
Booking direct
Book on HamiltonLimo.net's reservation engine, choose Billy Bishop, add the FBO and tail number in the notes and pick the vehicle; the fixed all-in fare shows before you confirm. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 72 hours or less is 10 %, 48 hours or less 50 %, 24 hours or less or a no-show 100 %. Airline passengers flying Porter or Air Canada from the island should use our Billy Bishop airport page instead.
