Buttonville Municipal Airport

The closure was driven by economic factors related to real estate development. The airport was located on 170 acres of prime, privately-owned land in the rapidly growing city of Markham, within the Greater Toronto Area. The land's value for commercial and residential development far exceeded its profitability as a general aviation airport. The owner, property development firm Cadillac Fairview, in partnership with the Sifton family, had long-standing plans to redevelop the site into a large-scale, mixed-use urban community. The decision was finalized after years of extensions, with the high value of the land making the redevelopment project inevitable.

The site is permanently closed to all air traffic and is in the process of being decommissioned for redevelopment. The land is slated to become a massive, master-planned community called 'Buttonville Lands.' The development plan by Cadillac Fairview includes high-density residential towers, office buildings, retail and commercial space, parks, and new public infrastructure. Demolition of airport structures like hangars, the terminal, and runways is planned to make way for the new construction.

Buttonville Municipal Airport (correct ICAO: CYKZ, IATA: YKZ) was one of Canada's most important and busiest general aviation airports. Opened in 1953, it played a crucial role in the region's aviation landscape for 70 years. Its key contributions included:
- **Flight Training Hub:** It was a premier center for pilot training in Canada. Seneca College's renowned aviation program was based at Buttonville for over 50 years, training thousands of commercial pilots.
- **Corporate and Charter Aviation:** It was a primary hub for corporate jets, private aircraft, and charter services serving the Toronto business community, offering a convenient and less congested alternative to Toronto Pearson International Airport.
- **Reliever Airport:** It served as a critical reliever airport, diverting general aviation traffic from the much larger and busier Toronto Pearson, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the national air system.
- **Economic Engine:** The airport was home to numerous aviation businesses, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities, avionics shops, aircraft sales, and the Canadian headquarters of Air BP. It also served as a base for York Regional Police's air support unit and Ornge air ambulance services.
- **Customs Port of Entry:** It was a designated airport of entry by NAV CANADA, staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), allowing it to handle international private and corporate flights.
(Note: The ICAO code provided in the query, CA-1108, is incorrect. The official Transport Canada identifier was CYKZ.)

There are zero prospects for reopening the airport. The closure is permanent, and the land has been irrevocably committed to the 'Buttonville Lands' real estate project. The former tenants, including flight schools, charter companies, and maintenance operations, have either ceased operations or relocated to other regional airports such as Oshawa Executive Airport (CYOO) and Lake Simcoe Regional Airport (CYLS).