Joe:

I'm glad that you brought up the monopoly status that Porter enjoys at the Island Airport.  That is an issue that many of us have been extremely annoyed about.

The Island Airport is a publicly owned facility.  It is owned by all of the taxpayers of Canada, and yet the Toronto Port Authority found a way to get rid of Jazz and deliver a monopoly to Porter.  I think this is shocking and should be stopped immediately.

But it points out another vulnerability that Porter faces.  There is an international agreement that gives reciprocal rights to other airlines.  Every day Porter planes make a number of flights to Newark and Chicago.  According to the agreement U.S. airlines have the right to make an equal number of flights into the Island Airport.  We have heard that there are U.S. airlines who are planning to do just that.  If American airlines start coming into the Island it will mean stiff competition for Porter.

Incidentally Joe, I am puzzled by your comment that if Porter relocates to Pearson the turboprops would have to compete with jets and customers would choose jets.  Jazz has turboprops flying out of Pearson.  How are they able to compete?  And your comment seems to imply that people still don't like flying in turboprops.  Is that true?

Bill Freeman