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Toronto Pearson International Airport, located in Mississauga, Ontario immediately west of Toronto, Ontario, is Canada's busiest and largest airport. It is among the top thirty of the world's busiest airports, handling more than 25 million passengers in 2002. It was renamed (in 1984) after Lester B. Pearson, Canada's 14th prime minister. It is also known by its IATA Airport Code as YYZ. The airport serves the Greater Toronto Area and as a hub for Air Canada.
Toronto Pearson International Airport currently has 3 operating terminals -- (New) Terminal 1 (or T-New), Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. T-New opened on April 6, 2004, with Air Canada being its major tenant. The old Terminal 1, which has since closed, is being demolished to make room for additional gates at T-New. In 2005 after the old Terminal 1 is completely demolished, the southern portion of Terminal 2 will be torn down, to be replaced with a new pier extending from T-New. By 2008, Terminal 2 will be completely torn down and by 2015, Pearson will then consist of T-New and Terminal 3, capable of handling up to 50 million passengers annually. Ultimately, T-New and Terminal 3 will be connected to form a 'super-terminal,' but a precise schedule for this project is undetermined.
It was originally known as Malton Airport (since 1939), then renamed Toronto International Airport in 1960, and later Lester B. Pearson International Airport in 1984, before its present name was given.
On June 2, 1983, Air Canada Flight 797, which was flying on a Houston-Dallas-Toronto route, made an emergency landing at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Kentucky; about half of the passengers died of smoke and fire.
On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, which was flying on a Toronto-Montreal-London-Delhi-Mumbai route, exploded in midair southwest of Ireland, killing all of the passengers aboard.
After the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack, Pearson International received many of the diverted flights that were coming into or leaving the United States. All civil aviation flights over North America were suspended for 3 days and ordered to land immediately.
The airport is located about 32 km (20 miles) from downtown Toronto. It is accessible from Highway 427 (just north of the Highway 401 interchange) or from Highway 409, from Highway 401. Highway 409 leads directly into the airport.
Pearson is also regularly served by two TTC bus lines connecting to Kipling and Lawrence West subway stations.
In addition, many cargo airlines serve the airport.
Rush, a popular rock trio based in Toronto, included an instrumental track on their 1981 album Moving Pictures entitled "YYZ" in honor of their city. The main theme of the tune contains a repeated rhythmic motif in 5/4 that is equivalent to the Morse code sequence for the letters Y-Y-Z (-.-- -.-- --..).
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