What is the difference between terminal 1 and terminal 3 at Pearson Airport?

Terminal 1 is the larger of Pearson's two terminals. It is the biggest terminal in Canada and ranks among the largest in the world by floor space. It mainly serves Air Canada and the other Star Alliance members, plus Emirates and a handful of unaffiliated carriers. Terminal 3 handles flights run by Oneworld and SkyTeam members along with many independent airlines.

Is terminal 1 Toronto domestic or international?

The two Toronto terminals are not split into international and domestic. Both handle flights to every part of the world. What separates them is the airline alliances each one houses.

Can you walk between terminals at YYZ?

No, you can't walk between the two Toronto terminals. The free APM Terminal Link Train connects them around the clock instead. It runs every 4 minutes during peak hours and every 8 minutes the rest of the time, taking about 2 minutes to travel from one terminal to the other.

Toronto Airport Terminals

The airport is built around two terminal buildings, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, plus a single extra concourse, the Infield Concourse, which ties into Terminal 3. The old Terminal 2 came down in 2007 and gave way to the vast new Terminal 1, which spread largely over the ground Terminal 2 once held. The upshot is that YYZ now channels all passenger traffic through just two terminals.

Both handle a mix of international and domestic flights. What separates Terminal 1 from Terminal 3 is not where you are going but rather which airline alliance you are flying with.

Toronto Airport Terminal 1

Sheer scale defines Terminal 1. Having swallowed the former Terminal 2, it now stretches across roughly 3,724,000 sq ft (346,000 square meters). That makes it the largest terminal in Canada and one of the 15 biggest airport terminals found anywhere.

Operations here cover Air Canada, the Star Alliance members, and a handful of unaffiliated carriers such as Air North, Canadian North, Emirates, Eurowings Discover, and Lynx Air. In all, the building offers 58 gates spread across three concourses (D, E, and F). Two of those gates can take the Airbus A380, which at YYZ only Emirates currently flies.

Four levels make up Terminal 1:

Ground Floor: Ground transportation services
Level 1: Arrivals
Level 2: Departures, with access to all gates
Level 3: International check-in and boarding area

Travellers here enjoy a full sweep of facilities, among them an eight-story parking garage, a clutch of lounges, and the ThyssenKrupp Express Walkways, billed as the fastest-moving walkways in the world, which keep foot traffic flowing briskly.

Alongside the standard customs setup, Terminal 1 runs a dedicated Customs B area. It caters to international and transborder passengers connecting onward to another international flight (the U.S. aside), letting them head straight to Pier E without rechecking bags or wading through extra lengthy formalities.

Toronto Airport Terminal 3

Terminal 3 is Pearson's second building. Though it falls short of Terminal 1 in size, it stays a large and thoroughly equipped facility. Having opened in 1991, it acts as a base for WestJet and works flights for the Oneworld and SkyTeam alliances, plus several carriers tied to no alliance at all.

You will find Gates A, B, and C here, and the building runs 48 gates in total, lifting the airport's overall tally to 106.

The layout broadly echoes Terminal 1:

Level 1: Arrivals
Level 2: Departures, with direct connections to the parking garage, Sheraton Gateway Hotel, and Terminal Link Train
Level 3: Passenger connections level

Plenty of passenger amenities fill Terminal 3, including parking, a direct link to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, and a landside shopping zone called Node C. Do bear in mind that services to the United States use a separate check-in and processing area.

Tied to Terminal 3 by bus, the Infield Concourse counts as part of Terminal 3 operations. Anyone arriving at or leaving from the Infield Concourse is processed through Terminal 3. Put up originally to absorb traffic while Terminal 1 was under construction, the concourse stays in service today, adding six more bridged gates. When flights do not need it, it frequently doubles as a film set.

Transfer Between Toronto Airport Terminals

An automated people mover (APM), the Terminal Link Train, joins Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. This free, fully accessible service runs around the clock.

Through the peak windows (03:30 to 08:00 and 11:30 to 12:30), trains come every 4 minutes. Outside those hours, one arrives every 8 minutes. Depending on where you board and step off, the ride takes anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes.

Beyond the terminals, the Terminal Link Train also reaches the Terminal 1 Parking Garage, Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Alt Hotel, Value Parking Garage, and Viscount Station.

You will find the train stations:

On Level 5 of the Terminal 1 Parking Garage
At the pedestrian bridge between Terminal 3 and the Sheraton Gateway Hotel (reachable by elevators or escalators)
On Level 4 of the Value Park Garage

Toronto Airport Terminals