Thank you Canadian taxpayers

laceName w:st="on">PearsonlaceName> laceType w:st="on">AirportlaceType> charges a full, 70-passenger Q400 $2,509.70 to take-off and land according to calculations based on publicly-available information on the airport’s website.

laceName w:st="on">BillylaceName> laceName w:st="on">BishoplaceName> laceType w:st="on">AirportlaceType>, formerly laceName w:st="on">TorontolaceName> laceType w:st="on">CitylaceType> laceName w:st="on">CentrelaceName> laceType w:st="on">AirportlaceType>, formerly laceType w:st="on">IslandlaceType> laceType w:st="on">AirportlaceType>, charges $801 for the same service according to rates published on the Toronto Port Authority’s website.

The difference, $1,708.70 or $24.41 per passenger, is money lost to the TPA since they don’t match Pearson’s charges.  Should they?  Based on the claim of downtown airport convenience and the much-touted $50 cab ride savings to Pearson, the TCCA passenger is getting off pretty lightly by comparison, $74.41 lightly, for those taking the free shuttle.

For each $24.41 a passenger saves, the TPA will look elsewhere to make up its loss.  Sadly the elsewhere is the taxpayer as this story details  http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/cityhall/article/217647--ttc-toronto-port-authority-reach-deal-on-land-for-light-rail-vehicle-storage.

In 2008, the TCCA claimed 508,574 passengers http://dcnonl.com/article/id36496.  Assuming 95% flew on Q400s, the per-passenger subsidy cost the TCCA $11,793,569 last year. 

On November 25, Transport Minister John Baird announced that Canadian taxpayers would be spending $893,750 for safety improvements to the airport  http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Transport-Canada-1082010.html.  That’s $893,750 the TPA could easily afford if it wasn’t subsidizing Q400 passengers.

Bob Kotyk