Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has “not yet formed an opinion” on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

This comes despite repeated claims from the Ontario government that the federal government is supportive.

Answering a question by QP Briefing Thursday, Carney said the federal government will launch a public consultation process this summer before making any decisions on the future of the airport.

“I personally have not formed an opinion, just to be absolutely clear, on the airport,” Carney said.

“There’s many, many issues. There’s issues of transportation. There’s issues of economics, but there’s issues of neighbourhoods, quality of life, environmental concerns or issues, parks and other elements,” the prime minister said. “So we’ll use a process. The federal government is very much an actor here.”

In March, when Ford first announced the plans to expand the airport, he told reporters that he had the support of the federal government.

“We do have the federal government’s support,” Ford said at the time. “They realize that it’s going to create many jobs and economic opportunities.”

During a different media availability this Thursday, Ford was asked about federal MPs from Toronto who have been cautious to support the plan.

He responded that it will be “up to the Prime Minister to talk to his MPs.”

“It’ll be done with consultation with the city and the federal government and the Port Authority,” he said.

This was Carney’s clearest statement to date on a proposal that has become one of the most divisive issues at Queen’s Park this spring. The federal government remains in an information-gathering phase despite months of public advocacy from Ford.

The premier has made expanding Billy Bishop a central part of his vision for Toronto’s waterfront, saying that the project would “create thousands of jobs, strengthen Ontario’s economy and transform the airport into a major transportation hub.”

Ontario says the expansion could allow Billy Bishop to handle up to 10 million passengers annually, roughly five times current traffic levels.

The proposal would involve extending the airport’s main runway through the construction of nearly a kilometre of artificial land protruding into Lake Ontario. Estimates cited by the province suggest the project could involve more than $5 billion in private investment over 25 years.

Any expansion, however, would require federal approval.

That reality has placed increasing attention on Carney and his government, especially after Ford repeatedly saying that Ottawa is already supportive of the project.

“We do have the federal government’s support,” Ford said during a March announcement at Billy Bishop Airport.

More recently, the premier has continued to express confidence that the project will move forward.

This Thursday, however, Carney had a more cautious tone.

“The initiatives come from the province, as you know,” he said.

“And what’s important is that there’s adequate consultation with affected residents, the broader City of Toronto.”

The prime minister said Ottawa will soon unveil details of a consultation process that will run throughout the summer and examine a broad range of issues associated with the proposal.

“There are issues of transportation. There are issues of economics. But there are issues of neighbourhoods, quality of life, environmental concerns or issues, parks and other elements,” he said.

“We’ll use a process to understand all of that and get the feedback.”

Carney also appeared to acknowledge the concerns being raised by Toronto-area Liberal MPs, who have largely avoided endorsing the proposal publicly despite pressure from both supporters and opponents of the project.

“One of the many strengths of my colleagues, and they have many, is that they are very tied into their communities and have those perspectives,” he said.

The issue emerged as a political flashpoint in Ottawa this week after several Toronto Liberal MPs declined to publicly back the expansion when questioned by reporters on Parliament Hill.

Among the most outspoken was Toronto MP Judy Sgro, who said she is “absolutely” concerned the airport could become too large and too busy for the surrounding area.

Toronto MP Karim Bardeesy repeatedly noted that no formal proposal has yet been submitted and said residents in his riding have raised concerns about the project.

Meanwhile, Toronto-area MPs are facing increasing pressure from local residents and municipal leaders to oppose the expansion outright.

The strongest statement from a local Liberal MP has come from Chi Nguyen, whose riding includes Billy Bishop Airport.

In a statement released Wednesday, Nguyen said any decision on the airport’s future must involve extensive public consultation and warned she would not support any proposal that threatens Little Norway Park, the Toronto Islands, beaches, greenspace, schools or community spaces.

“My position is straightforward: Protect the park, protect the islands, protect the beach and Lake Ontario, prove the economic case, and consult Toronto before any decisions are made,” Nguyen said.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has also expressed skepticism, adding that key details remain unanswered.

“What is the plan?” Chow said this week.

“What is the business plan? How are you going to reach 10 million passengers? How many flights is it going to take? How long is the runway? Who is going to pay for what?”

The debate intensified last month after the Ford government passed the Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, legislation that removes the City of Toronto from the tripartite agreement governing the airport and replaces it with the province.

The agreement is currently shared among the federal government, the province and the federal Toronto Port Authority.

The legislation also gives Ontario the power to designate the airport a special economic zone, allowing the province to accelerate approvals and bypass certain regulatory requirements in order to advance the project.

The move was fiercely opposed by opposition parties and Toronto city council, which argued the province was overriding local decision-making to force through a project that lacks public support.

Ford has dismissed those criticisms, arguing the airport expansion would be privately financed, improve runway safety and create significant economic benefits.

During a news conference this Thursday, the premier again defended the project, saying it would create thousands of jobs and benefit not only Toronto but communities across the province.

“It will be done responsibly,” Ford said.

“It will be done with consultation with the city and the federal government and the Port Authority.”

He also sought to reassure critics that the broader Toronto Islands would remain untouched.

The issue is expected to become even more politically charged next week when a group of Ontario NDP MPPs travels to Ottawa to lobby Liberal MPs and the prime minister to reject the proposal.

Among them is Toronto MPP Chris Glover, who has argued the waterfront belongs to all Torontonians and should not be reshaped to accommodate airport expansion.

For now, however, Carney is refusing to stake out a position.

While he has previously described the proposal as “an interesting vision” with “big possibilities,” Thursday’s comments showed that Ottawa’s support is far from guaranteed and that any federal decision will come only after months of consultations.

Premier Ford’s office responded with a statement saying that they “look forward” to working with “all members of the tripartite agreement” on the Billy Bishop Airport expansion project, and did not weigh in on why the Premier has said in the past that the federal government supported the idea.