Pearson's Terminal 2 Closes

I would like to feel sad about Terminal 2 closing on Monday night, but I can't. As a frequent user of Toronto's massive airport, anything and everything they do to make the experience better is welcomed with open arms by me.

Sure, Terminal 2 had convenient parking and modern seventies architecture, but it was massive and the interior was dark and gloomy. My lasting memory of good old Terminal 2 will be the endless hallways you had to walk down to get out of the damn place. The walk to customs or the baggage carousel's took forever!

To accommodate the traffic from Terminal 2, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) has added a new $800-million expansion to the already revamped Terminal 1 called "Pier F" which opened Monday night. Pier F will be capable of handling 38 million passengers a year and is approximately 84,000 square-metres. Officials say the new wing is aimed at "simplifying and enhancing" the travel experience, with 25 new gates for international traffic, 680 metres of moving walkways, and Canada's largest duty-free store. I say bring it on!

Pier F was in development for eight years, and with it comes a new runway as well as new taxiways, utilities, roads, bridges, an on-airport train system, and upgrades to Terminal 3. When all is said and done, the plan is to simplify the transfer process for passengers. And again I say bring it on.

Airport travel is not the fun and exciting experience it used to be. Increased security screenings, line ups, rushed transfer times and crowded planes all combine to make it a stressful and harried process. Anything, and I mean anything they can do to make it better is okay by me. Will I miss Terminal 2? Nope.