What is the purpose of dumping this sort of info on this discussion board?
So what if airlines are currently losing billions? It means doodly-squat for the island airport! Even if Porter Airlines were to fail (as City Express did previously), soon enough there’ll be other airlines filling the gap and/or new business ventures attempting to commercialize the island airport simply because that’s the political & policy will of a host of powerful interests operating to make it so:

? The Federal Government inexplicably wants the island airport there regardless of whether it’s financially viable. They put the TPA in place (overseeing the island airport) and have continued to doggedly support this government agency for years, despite its confused, ambiguous and costly mandate, and gross incompetence to boot. Incredibly, the past head of the TPA now sits as a Federal Cabinet minister which pretty well ensures a continuation of the political shenanigans of the past, dooming any chance of a sensible change in policy.

? Transport Canada views the island airport as an integral part of its air transportation strategy serving central Canada. Their strategic policy anticipates aggressive growth prospects for the airport and accordingly the extensive and continuing infrastructure support. It’s been that way for over a quarter of a century.

? The business community apparently represented by the Toronto Board of Trade
views the island airport as so economically important for the City that they keep citing London’s City Airport as its model, commuter jets and all.

It’ll take a major shift in political and economic orientations and mind sets to change these conditions. Harping about the current financial woes of the airline industry at large in this regard is a useless waste of time and energy.

John Spragge