RESA Project Takes Shape by Water

What does it take to build new safety infrastructure at an airport located on an island?

At Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the answer involves a carefully coordinated operation that brings together marine transportation, engineering expertise and airport infrastructure planning. As construction continues on the airport’s new Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs), nearly 400,000 metric tonnes of stone are being transported by vessel from Prince Edward County and delivered directly to the project site.

RESAs are safety buffer zones located beyond the ends of a runway. Designed to enhance protection for aircraft, passengers and crews in the unlikely event of a runway excursion, they are part of an international initiative mandated by Transport Canada to strengthen runway safety and align Canadian airports with current aviation standards. The RESAs at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport do not extend the active runway.

Because of the airport’s unique location in Toronto Harbour, traditional construction logistics look a little different. Rather than relying on trucks, materials are arriving by marine vessel, reducing traffic impacts while showcasing the close connection between the Toronto Port Authority’s marine and aviation operations. The project highlights the scale of planning required to move, place and engineer hundreds of thousands of tonnes of material in a marine environment adjacent to an active airport.

Since construction began in 2026, crews have been steadily creating the landmass required to support the new safety areas.

In our latest video, Warren Askew, Vice President, Airport, Toronto Port Authority, and Yoshi Shrestha of AVIA NG Airport Consultants provide an inside look at the engineering, marine logistics and collaboration behind the project as it continues to take shape by water.

Watch the video below to learn more about the RESA project and the unique operation helping bring it to life.

Learn more about the RESA project on our Capital Projects page.