Freeman replies to Joe
At risk of turning this blog into a private chat line where participants take swipes at each other, I feel I have to respond to Joe's latest posting where he takes me to task, saying that I am being alarmist in my claims that the Island Airport is facing massive expansion over the next few months.
Joe, I was speculating and I made that very clear in my posting, but I laid out my arguments very clearly and readers will have to draw their own conclusions. But those speculations are based on facts.
First, Porter is in the process of increasing its fleet of planes to twenty-one. The airline currently operates with twelve Q400 turboprops and the noise and pollution those planes generate and the ground traffic that they attract are already intolerable to many people. Any increase is going to make it much worse.
Second, and this is the key point, Porter has demonstrated over and over again that they have considerable political influence in Ottawa and the Department of Transport. Look at the record:
The federal government and the Toronto Port Authority have done everything they possibly can to encourage and facilitate the operations of Porter Airlines at the Island Airport. These are facts, Joe, not alarmist speculations. So, I have gone the next step and have speculated that, if Ottawa and the TPA have gone this far in promoting Porter, then I believe that it is highly likely that they are going to go the next step and increase the number of slots at the Island Airport so that Porter can use all twenty-one planes in their fleet.
One thing must be said about Porter and most business people; they are cautious. When a large sum of money is at risk, such as the purchase of multi million dollar aircraft, Porter executives will want to be sure that they can use the aircraft and make money from them. Joe, do you really believe that Porter would be buying all of these extra planes if they thought for a moment that they would not be allowed to use them because of NEF contour regulations?
Now I hope you are right Joe. I sincerely hope that these new planes that Porter has ordered will fly out of Ottawa or Thunder Bay or Pearson. Call me cynical if you like, but I think they are destined to be used at the Island Airport, and Porter's political friends will find a way to make that happen.
Bill Freeman
Joe, I was speculating and I made that very clear in my posting, but I laid out my arguments very clearly and readers will have to draw their own conclusions. But those speculations are based on facts.
First, Porter is in the process of increasing its fleet of planes to twenty-one. The airline currently operates with twelve Q400 turboprops and the noise and pollution those planes generate and the ground traffic that they attract are already intolerable to many people. Any increase is going to make it much worse.
Second, and this is the key point, Porter has demonstrated over and over again that they have considerable political influence in Ottawa and the Department of Transport. Look at the record:
- $20 million of the $35 million settlement that Ottawa paid in relation to the cancellation of the bridge, went to Porter and Robert Deluce. Lawyers, including David Miller, say that payment was not necessary because the city did nothing illegal in canceling the bridge.
- The Department of Transport has admitted that the Q400 is not a STOL aircraft, and have also conceded that under the terms of the Tripartite Agreement only commercial aircraft that have STOL capabilities have the right to use the Island Airport, and yet Transport has made the ridiculous ruling that because the Q400 is technically a Dash 8, and the Dash 8 has been approved for use at the Island Airport, therefore, the Q400 is allowed.
- The Toronto Port Authority has admitted that the Q400 violates the noise standards in the Tripartite Agreement according to independent testing by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and yet they continue to allow the Q400 to operate out of the airport.
The federal government and the Toronto Port Authority have done everything they possibly can to encourage and facilitate the operations of Porter Airlines at the Island Airport. These are facts, Joe, not alarmist speculations. So, I have gone the next step and have speculated that, if Ottawa and the TPA have gone this far in promoting Porter, then I believe that it is highly likely that they are going to go the next step and increase the number of slots at the Island Airport so that Porter can use all twenty-one planes in their fleet.
One thing must be said about Porter and most business people; they are cautious. When a large sum of money is at risk, such as the purchase of multi million dollar aircraft, Porter executives will want to be sure that they can use the aircraft and make money from them. Joe, do you really believe that Porter would be buying all of these extra planes if they thought for a moment that they would not be allowed to use them because of NEF contour regulations?
Now I hope you are right Joe. I sincerely hope that these new planes that Porter has ordered will fly out of Ottawa or Thunder Bay or Pearson. Call me cynical if you like, but I think they are destined to be used at the Island Airport, and Porter's political friends will find a way to make that happen.
Bill Freeman
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