Porter Air is really taking offDespite opposition, regional airline is expanding and profitable |
It's an interesting irony that while Mayor David Miller's popularity has plummeted in recent months, support for the revitalized Toronto Island Airport he so vehemently opposed appears to have soared.
In fact, Porter Airlines, the upstart airline which has been operating flights from the island since last Oct. 23, is doing so well that construction has begun this month to expand the terminal it uses at the Toronto City Centre Airport.
Three more arrival and departure gates will be added to the two operating now and their business class lounge space will "almost be tripled," Bob Deluce, Porter's president and CEO told me this past week.
In fact, their June net-profit margin of 8% was much better than they ever anticipated in their projections -- after some $125.7 million was invested in the airline's start-up.
"It is remarkable," Deluce said, attributing the airline's popularity to the convenient location, the price savings (of the total travel package) and the special treatment provided on their flights.
"That came to us roughly after eight months into our service," he added, noting the very successful Southwest Airlines in the U.S. took three years to gain any profitability.
He says flights to New York (via Newark) will commence in late January or early February -- the fourth destination to be added since the airline's inaugural 10 weekday return flights to Ottawa.
Last Dec. 11, the airline expanded its route to Montreal, which they now serve with nine return weekday flights. Halifax "emerged as an opportunity" this past summer. This fall they'll continue to serve that city on weekends, he said.
Following New York, it's "still a toss-up" whether they'll add Boston or Chicago to their flight schedule, Deluce said, with Philadelphia and Washington also on the short list.
They have four 70-seat Q400 planes in their fleet now and will take delivery of two more before the year is up. When they started up, they had a firm order (valued at $500-million U.S.) with the Bombardier Aerospace plant in Downsview for 10 planes plus an option to buy 10 more.
"At this stage there's a very high degree of likelihood we'll be taking all 20 aircraft," Deluce said.
Small wonder we've heard so little as of late from Miller and his silk-stocking socialist friends whose opposition to the $22-million fixed link bridge to the island airport (and its eventual cancellation) cost taxpayers a not too shabby $35 million in legal claims.
It was certainly not the toonie Miller claimed it would be -- but then this is the same mayor who thinks no one has noticed his efforts to bully taxpayers into accepting his controversial land transfer and vehicle ownership taxes.
In my view, Miller's efforts to stop the island airport have bombed just like his leadership.
Nevertheless the Toronto island contingent won't let it go.
Bill Freeman, spokesman for the Community AIR group that has vociferously fought the airport, told me last week tickets were sold out for a fundraiser slated for last night on the island. They wanted to raise money "to carry on their fight," he said.
Asked whether they honestly think they can still shut down the airport, he said their feeling is Deluce is not doing very well. "We're certainly very skeptical," Freeman said, adding they intend to make it a federal election issue.
FEW NOISE COMPLAINTS
The airport's opponents don't complain about the noise these days. Instead, they've attempted to capitalize on recent landing gear incidents with the Q400 in Scandinavia by writing Prime Minister Stephen Harper, demanding he ground the Porter flights until a safety audit is done on the aircraft.
Freeman conceded they have not received a response.
"It isn't appropriate for them to get their nose into an area they know nothing about ... they sound a little bit desperate," bristled Deluce, noting they conducted the requisite checks on their aircraft and they've been found to be safe.
Deluce dismissed the island opposition, saying they're "dreaming in Technicolour.
"The fact that so many passengers are supporting it (the airline) ... at the end of the day that's all that really matters."
1 comment:
it is interesting how the real problems and the dangers of operating that many planes so close to downtown poses, but I think the last line says it.
It's about money. And that, is way more important than anything else in a conservative mind.
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