Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport just had to close its pedestrian tunnel due to flooding

Though the skies may already be clearing up, Toronto is still recovering from Thursday's torrential downpours and flooding that have debilitated parts of the city and the region at large.

As various neighbourhoods deal with road closures, overflowed waterways and power outages, the city's transit hubs are struggling to operate smoothly, including multiple shuttered TTC stations, a now-underwater Union Station and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Management of the island airfield informed passengers shortly before 1:20 p.m. that it was forced to close the pedestrian tunnel that most use to get from the mainland to the airport, writing on X that the walkway "experienced flooding due to heavy rain that will require its temporary closure."

"Tunnel is currently closed and all passengers and staff will be redirected to the ferry for access to and from the airport. Staff are in place to assist passengers," the post continued. 

Some trips into and out of YTZ have also been disrupted by the weather, with travellers encouraged to check their flight status with their respective carriers.

Update: As of 1:00pm some flights have been impacted. We encourage all passengers to confirm flight status with their airline.

— Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (@BBishopAirport) July 16, 2024

A representative from Billy Bishop told blogTO that the tunnel was actually barred earlier in the day, closer to noon, and that the facility ended up losing power as well.

"Due to severe rainfall and along with much of the downtown core, Billy Bishop Airport has experienced a temporary power outage in the pedestrian tunnel and mainland pavilion. Backup systems are operating to ensure critical operations and services can be maintained," they said over email.

"While the tunnel is closed, our ferry service is operating to transport passengers to and from the terminal. The situation is improving and we will continue to provide updates via our website and social media channels as it progresses."

Later updates explain that the tunnel itself was not actually flooded, but closed as a precautionary measure due to the conditions. Power along the walkway was restored early Wednesday morning and normal operations were resumed.