Daily non-stop flights from Toronto Pearson reach 70 per cent of the global economy, and that will grow to 80 per cent in the next few years. We help businesspeople find new customers, cement partnerships, visit factories and trade events, ship high-value goods and attract investors to our own backyard.
Foreign Exchange
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a vital component of any developed economy, and Canada is no exception. In 2016, our nation’s inward FDI stock – the total level of investment from foreign sources at any given time – was $826 billion. Since the global financial crisis and subsequent recession of 2008–2009, we’ve led the G7 nations in attracting investment. In 2016, our key success measure – the ratio of FDI to total Canadian GDP – was double the G7 average. This inflow not only provides a stable source of funding for Canadian enterprises; it also brings added benefits such as the transfer of knowledge and technical expertise. What’s more, FDI strengthens commercial ties between our country and foreign markets. And all of this naturally increases demand for air travel.
Toronto Pearson, as a global hub, plays a crucial role in connecting foreign investors to Canadian projects and companies, and vice versa. The connectivity we provide is also a key consideration for multinationals looking at competing sites for new divisional headquarters or key branch operations. Our airport’s impact as an economic facilitator is particularly evident in a province where foreign investment is considered vital for economic growth. Ontario accounted for 8 per cent of all FDI flowing into North America in 2016, up from 6 per cent in the previous year. In the same period, the province’s share of Canadian FDI grew from 47 per cent to 53 per cent of the national total, while the value of investments from foreign sources increased from $4.1 billion to $4.5 billion. These data points reflect countless interactions among corporate leaders and investors, as well as legal and finance teams, engineers and designers, and experts in every area of manufacturing and service delivery. And most of those interactions are made possible by our airport’s efficient direct connections to more than 70 per cent of the global economy.
It All Connects
When we introduce a new service or route at Toronto Pearson, the value added extends far beyond the immediate advantages of direct access to a new destination. Connectivity leads to more connectivity. If it becomes easier to reach Toronto from, say, Madrid, then Toronto soon finds itself welcoming more tourists, students, businesspeople and investors from Spain. Connections among people and organizations grow, making it easier for Canadian companies to export products and services to Spanish markets, which in turn creates still more jobs here at home.
As our airport steadily increases its reach and frequency, we anticipate that the impact on regional economic activity will support a projected 700,000 jobs – direct, indirect and induced – across the region. In addition, the global connectivity we provide helps to attract skilled people from abroad who want easy access to family and friends back home. We help regional businesses and organizations win in the global war for talent, and that benefits everyone.
14% of Ontario exports Goods shipped via air cargo through Toronto Pearson in 2016 represented about 14 per cent of Ontario’s total exports by value, and 7 per cent of exports nationally.
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Learn more about how we connect Canada to the rest of the globe
Adding destinations. Opening up new markets. Attracting tourism and investment. Supporting travellers from their homes, around the globe and back again. And always keeping an eye on the horizon.