In the early 20th century, Toronto developed into an important center of aircraft manufacturing and air transportation and began to host numerous air shows. The Canadian International Air Show was first held in 1946 at Downsview Airport. It was organized by the National Aeronautical Association of Canada. It moved to Exhibition Place on the shore of Lake Ontario in 1949 and became a regular feature of the Canadian National Exhibition a decade later.
The show typically starts at 12 pm and end at about 3 pm every day. The best places to watch the aerial displays are Exhibition Place and Ontario Place, although the show is visible from any other lakefront site. Performers fly in from Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
The CIAS features aerobatics teams from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Regular performers include the Snowbirds and other Canadian Armed Forces teams, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, and the Red Arrows (the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team). Past performers have included the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, Vintage Wings of Canada, as well as commercial airlines and private aerobatics display teams.
There is no static aircraft display at the CIAS due to strict security regulations at Toronto airports, although there was a full static display for a couple of years in the 1990s.
