Oshawa Executive Airport

The airport is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. However, we have a voluntary policy to limit after hours flights (between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.) to police, medical and industrial emergency flights and Oshawa based aircraft returning to the airport. 

The airport conducts surveys to ensure that trees surrounding the airport do not exceed the maximum height permitted by Transport Canada in the Oshawa Airport Zoning Regulations. If a tree becomes a concern, action will be taken to meet Transport Canada's safety regulations and may include tree removal or tree trimming.

The airport reviews all land use submissions and site plans submitted to the City of Oshawa and most submissions from the eastern side of the Town of Whitby. It is essential to ensure that all land use and planning decisions comply with Transport Canada Airport Zoning Regulations as they set the obstacle height, the attraction of wildlife, and the airport noise exposure forecast (N.E.F.).

Transport Canada requires aircraft to take-off and land facing the wind for safety reasons.

• If winds are less than 5 kn, aircraft (dependent on type) will depart and arrive on Runway 30. Aircraft using Runway 30 depart over Taunton Rd, limiting noise exposure to the residential communities surrounding the airport.
• If winds are greater than 5 kn (9 km/h), the most suitable runway (dependent on aircraft type) in wind direction by heading must be used. For example, if the winds were 120° from the east at 5 kn or above, the aircraft would use Runway 12.

Military aircraft may conduct training exercises or search and rescue missions along Lake Ontario. They often stop at the airport to refuel their aircraft. However, we do not get advance notice of their arrival most of the time.

We do not have any scheduled passenger flights from Oshawa, and there are no plans to have scheduled passenger service. The Oshawa Executive Airport is Ontario's largest general aviation and corporate only airport serving Oshawa, Durham Region, and the Greater Toronto Area.

 Two businesses at the airport offer introductory and scenic aircraft flights.

• Canadian Flight Academy
• Durham Flight Centre

Visit the Transport Canada website for information about the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.

Obstacles in the airspace around the Oshawa Executive Airport, such as temporary cranes, are a hazard to aviation safety. Therefore, it is essential to inform pilots of the locations of these obstacles and the time and date they will be in the airspace.

In addition, there are limitations to the height of these temporary obstacles under the Oshawa Executive Airport Zoning Regulations. These heights vary depending on your location. In some cases, temporary exemptions may be granted to these limitations; however, this process can take up to 60 days to complete.

Complete a Temporary Crane Permit Application now 

Processing Times: The Oshawa Executive Airport will make every effort to process the permit application for cranes below the airport zoning limitations within three business days.

If you are eligible and require an exemption to the zoning, processing your request may take up to 60 business days. Electronic submissions may also decrease the time needed to assess a submission.

For more information, please email airport@oshawa.ca

Nav Canada operates the control tower at the Oshawa Executive Airport and is responsible for the arrival and departure of all aircraft between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. daily. This includes selecting which runway to use based on Transport Canada regulations. When the winds are 5 knots or above, based on the control tower’s wind monitoring equipment, these regulations mandate that the control tower staff must direct aircraft to the most favorable runway based on the wind direction with the exception that larger aircraft may request the airport’s main runway 12/30 due to its longer runway length. 

Transport Canada is the regulator and they are responsible for establishing and ensuring compliance with all regulations governing airport operations, aircraft operations and the operation of the air navigation system. It is important to note that only Transport Canada can establish and enforce regulations relating to aviation such as the aircraft noise abatement regulations.

Nav Canada is a not-for-profit corporation responsible for the operation of Canada’s national air navigation system, including the operation of the Nav Canada control tower located at the Oshawa Executive Airport. In its control tower, Nav Canada is responsible for the arrival and departure of all aircraft using the Oshawa Executive Airport. This includes the selection of which runway to use in accordance with Transport Canada regulations; Nav Canada operates the tower (including runway selection) between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., 365 days a year. 

The airport is regulated by the Federal government and as such this policy applies to all Federal statutory holiday weekends. For example, on the Easter long weekend, Friday is the Federal statutory holiday, and Monday is a Provincial holiday. On this weekend there is no circuit training on the Friday and Sunday. It is important to note that although there is no circuit training on holiday long weekends, aircraft may still depart and return to the airport. 

Aircraft movements are tracked using data received from Nav Canada. For further information, visit Statistics Canada’s aircraft movement webpage.

Night flight aircraft movements are tracked and are limited to police, medical, and industrial flights, as well as Oshawa-based aircraft returning to the airport. 

On June 21, 2021, City Council endorsed The Oshawa Executive Airport Business Plan is a comprehensive document that guides actions and the decision making process and contained 14 action items.

In May 2024, Council approved the 2024 Oshawa Executive Airport Action Plan.  

The Action Plan contains eight action items that prioritize operational improvements, aircraft noise mitigation, and public safety alignment as part of the Oshawa Executive Airport’s commitment to being a good community neighbour. These actions are instrumental in helping the airport fulfill its full potential as a vital regional asset.

To learn more, view the 2024 Action Plan in Report SF-24-24 and the 2021-2022 Oshawa Executive Airport Action Plan outlined in Report DS-21-44.

City Council has committed to operate the Airport to not less than 2033, regardless of whether Pickering Airport is built, in order to attract new investment and allow the Airport to fulfill its supporting role as an economic driver of the City and the Region.

Under the Operating and Options Agreement with the Federal government, the City has an obligation to operate the airport until 2047 or until the Pickering Airport is built. However, the City may close the airport if it becomes redundant in the future.

Work is currently underway to reconfigure Runway 12/30 to help reduce noise over residential neighbourhoods. This work is expected to be completed in fall 2025.

The reconfiguration will deliver meaningful benefits by directing more departures to Runway 30 and landings to Runway 12 – Oshawa’s optimal departure and landing corridors. This reconfiguration will enable quieter, higher altitude takeoffs farther from homes, helping to reduce the overall noise footprint over residential neighbourhoods.

The agreement between T.A.A.S. and the City is from September 1, 2016 until August 31, 2026. The annual fee is approximately $990,000. T.A.A.S. provides all the staff and equipment necessary to operate the airport and does not receive a percentage or financial incentive for any fuel sales.

Any land transaction that involves the sale of City-owned land is governed by the Municipal Act, 2001. The sale of any lands would require Council approval and would only be advanced consistent with the City’s Real Estate By-law, the Municipal Act, 2001 and at fair market value.

Currently, 100% of all land sale proceeds are retained by the City while the airport is operational and are deposited into the airport’s capital reserve account and contribute to the capital needs of the airport. Additionally, the City will not sell or lease new airport lands for flight training purposes.

All airport users pay rent, user fees and other related airport fees consistent with industry practices. A complete review of the airport user fees was undertaken in 2020. This included a review of multiple comparative airport fees along with a comparison of airport revenue generated by each of the three key airport user groups, which are general aviation, flight training and corporate aviation. As a result, the airport fees were amended to provide a better balance between all user groups.