Monday, March 09, 2009

Hogtown City Limits VIII

To Toronto City Centre Airport, on the Brompton bicycle - the first ride of the year.
You can fight city hall it seems as Robert Deluce is proving with Porter Airlines.
Now operating eight locally-built Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft, there are a further eight on order, and additional destinations thought to include Washington D.C. and Boston to be announced. The builders are on-site constructing a new terminal building said to be costing $40 million.
Somebody in the know told me that the airport accounts for 500 jobs and is ramping up service into the downturn. While local politicians talk about shovel-ready projects these folk are already getting on with it. The airport is operated by a fine body of men with the call sign "Satellite City."
The airport has also felt the current adverse criticism of private business flying, but was busy with Porter flights, light aircraft including training flights and the medevac helicopter when I was there. The fall in the oil price has helped some. They deserve to succeed despite the depradations of the borough-mongers down at City Hall.

1 comment:

Lloyd Alter said...

and having flown on Air Canada and American recently, the experience on Porter puts them to shame.