Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (QMI AENCY PHOTO)

A majority of Toronto residents think the Toronto Island airport is a “good thing.”

According to a new Forum Research poll, 63% of Toronto residents surveyed think the Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport is a “good thing” for the city while only 28% think it is a “bad thing.” Around 10% didn’t know.

“It appears that Torontonians have learned to love their downtown airport, and a significant minority think it could handle jets, which is a far cry from the past,” Forum President Lorne Bozinoff stated in a press release.

When it came to shorter flights, the poll found 52% of residents would rather fly out of the island airport for a flight that is less than 800 kilometres while 40% of residents would rather fly out of Pearson airport.

Asked about the planned Pearson Air Rail link, just over half of Toronto residents support more than two stops along the route.

Around 53% say they are in favour of more stops — beyond just ones at the GO stations at Bloor and Dundas Sts. and at Weston Rd. — between Union Station and Pearson — even if that leads to a longer ride. Just 39% of residents said they support just two stops along the route.

When it comes to lifting the ban on jets at the island airport, residents reaction is a little more mixed.

Around 42% disapprove of the idea of letting jets use the airport while 37% approve of the idea. Another 21% say they have no opinion on the matter.

The telephone poll was conducted by interactive voice response among 834 Toronto residents on Friday and Saturday. The results are considered accurate within 3%, 19 times out of 20.