Air sickness being felt on the ground

Niagara has been struck by a severe case of airport madness.

The most stricken patient, of course, is Niagara regional council.

Flu-like symptoms experienced by councillors include hallucinations that Niagara District Airport is on the cusp of aviation greatness, delusions triggered in large part by the launching of limited air travel between Niagara and Toronto.

The service is a twice-a-day run, a return trip that costs $180, tax included, on a plane that seats either six or eight passengers.

Shortly after this service was announced in the summer, regional council revealed its intention to take over the operations and governance of both Niagara District Airport in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport in Pelham.

(Why the Pelham airport, you ask? Politics, dear readers, politics. Heaven forbid the easily hurt feelings of south Niagara types be further bruised by the suggestion their puddle-jumper of a landing strip doesn’t deserve the same treatment and ardour as the it’s-all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips Niagara District Airport.)

Sure, the Toronto-to-Niagara flight doesn’t sound like much, but the truly mad on council believe it could be the start of a much larger, air passenger network.

Who knows, if we dream big enough, there could eventually be trips to London and Paris.

OK, this is mere conjecture on my part. I mean, I know London, Ont., has an airport, but I’m not certain Paris, Ont., does.

By the way, we carried a story the other day that had promoters of the Toronto-to-Niagara service speaking positively of the customer response so far.

Airport commission chairman Gary Murphy acknowledged some of the initial flights were a little light on passengers, but that “loads are picking up.”

Loads are picking up??? Egads, man, the plane has six seats.

Turns out, though, it’s not just regional councillors and airport commissioners who are running a temperature and feeling lightheaded.

The bug has spread to Niagaraon-the-Lake council.

Previously presumed hale and hearty councillors from this town voted last week to add a second bus to its limited public transit system in order that Niagara District Airport could be served.

Admittedly, the second bus will make other stops. But it’s the airport one that grabbed people’s attention.

Or maybe it was just my attention.

Currently, the transit system operates a fixed route between the Old Town and Glendale, using one bus for seven months and two buses during the peak tourism season.

NOTL buses have occasionally picked up and dropped off passengers near the airport along the Niagara Stone Road route when requested during the summer months.

Marci Weston, the town’s engineering technologist, said that’s not good enough now that there’s air passenger service.

“The terminal is near the limit of how far pedestrians will walk from a bus stop to their destination, and it is an uncomfortable and treacherous hike under winter conditions, particularly when burdened with luggage,” said Weston.

My new favourite town councillor, Jamie King, voted against the proposal.

“We’re talking about a very limited number of airport patrons. I don’t think public transit is on their agenda,” said King, suggesting they would very likely be using private vehicles. Ya think? I’m trying to imagine the scenario of the hubby and the wife celebrating their 25th anniversary with two round-trip flights to Toronto, two nights at the Royal York Hotel, a show at the Royal Alexandra and a Raptors game. But first they have to grab a few loonies for the $3 bus fare to Niagara District. Yep, it’s a little bit crazy. So, look for regional council to insist its transit service stop at Niagara District, too.

And don’t forget the Niagara Central Airport.