Porter push for jets hits dead-end
Port authority won’t complete studies requested by city council
Porter Airlines’ push to bring jet service to an expanded Toronto island airport is officially dead.
PortsToronto, the federal port authority, said in a statement it has halted work on an environmental assessment and two studies city council requested in 2014.
“PortsToronto will complete the technical work currently underway, but will not proceed with further public engagement-related activities pertaining to the Porter Proposal to introduce jets,” chief executive Geoffrey Wilson said in a statement.
“As such, the studies will not be finished. PortsToronto will make data and information gathered to date available to the city of Toronto and stakeholders that may be helpful to the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan currently being led by the city of Toronto.”
Porter launched its controversial expansion proposal in April 2013.
The runway would have been expanded a half-kilometre into the harbour as part of a bigger Billy Bishop airport, which was expected to result in more than doubling its use, to 5.5 million passengers a year.
Last month, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said his government would not renegotiate an airport agreement among the city of Toronto, PortsToronto and the federal government.
The port authority said at the time that, absent any specific direction from the federal government, it was putting finishing touches on the studies for delivery to city council in early 2016.
The ongoing studies were seized on as a source of hope by those fighting to keep alive Porter’s dream of offering Bombardier CSeries jet service to destinations, including Miami and Los Angeles, not reachable by Porter’s Bombardier Q400 turboprops.
Porter said Tuesday it is glad some technical work on the studies continues but has no other comment while the company assesses the situation.
Councillor Joe Cressy, representing the downtown ward that includes the airport, welcomed news that the studies won’t be completed.
“We know jets will not fly out of an expanded island airport . . . Our city can finally return to the work of ensuring existing airport operations best fit in with the local neighbourhood, the city and local waterfront revitalization,” Cressy said.
Traffic chaos, particularly around the airport at the foot of Bathurst St., saw Cressy’s predecessor, Adam Vaughan, now the area’s Liberal MP, spar for years with the port authority, which is still primarily governed by Conservative appointees.
Cressy said there have been more than 50 meetings in the past year about the Bathurst Quay plan to improve “public realm” and park space and enhance community services.
PortsToronto is vowing “to work collaboratively with the city of Toronto and waterfront stakeholders to ensure that the airport strikes an appropriate balance along the waterfront while continuing to offer a vital gateway for travellers.”
Vaughan said he’s pleased with the decision. Future PortsToronto appointments will be “transparent and based on merit, not political” and Waterfront Toronto will now be the lead on waterfront issues.