After Years of Doubt and Decline, Toronto’s Buttonville Airport Is Closed

The family-owned field rose and fell over a 60-year period.

Jonathan Welsh

Friday, December 01, 2023 at 06:04 PM ET

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Buttonville Airport grew from a turf strip to a busy urban reliever.

Key Takeaways:

Toronto's Buttonville Airport (CYKZ), once a busy Canadian airport, has officially closed after years of speculation and a confusing shutdown process.
The closure required the removal of approximately 300 based aircraft, with many pilots initially hesitant to believe the final notice due to past unfulfilled closure warnings.
The airport's closure was primarily driven by the significant increase in its land's real estate value, as Toronto's urban sprawl surrounded it, making the property desirable for developer-led construction (reportedly warehouses).

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After years of speculation, rumors, and a drawn-out process one local pilot said was akin to a roller-coaster ride, Toronto’s Buttonville Airport (CYKZ), once one of Canada’s busiest, has closed.

Airport management announced in May that the airport would shut down on November 30 and that all aircraft, including about 300 based at the field, would have to be removed by then. While that single message seemed clear, it was part of a series of communications that were not always reliable.