U.S. preclearance expected at airport by end of 2011

The federal agency overseeing Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is forecasting sharply higher transborder traffic this year, saying the operation is still targeting U.S. customs preclearance. The Toronto Port Authority, which operates the island airport near downtown Toronto, is disappointed that U.S. authorities have rejected an application for Billy Bishop to open a customs facility to prescreen U.S.-bound passengers. "But the door is not shut. We knew this would be a time-consuming application," TPA chief executive officer Geoffrey Wilson said Wednesday. The TPA expects to have U.S. customs preclearance opened by the end of 2011, roughly one year later than Porter Airlines Inc. had been counting on. Mr. Wilson said the island airport's second phase of expansion should be completed by early 2011, with Porter slated to relinquish its monopoly on commercial flights as Air Canada and Continental Airlines Corp. prepare to compete.