Porter Airlines wants to grow, fly its passengers on jets and serve more customers. Good. It has outgrown its small, regional airport on Toronto’s waterfront. Time to move the business to Pearson Airport.
You can vote here.
Unfortunately, Porter wants to expand the Toronto Island runway farther out into the lake rather than go to the bigger airport. The company is lobbying hard and pressing with PR and advertising to get their wish.
Because Porter is relentless in its self-interested ambitions, public interest needs relentless support, too. Let’s keep our revitalized waterfront free of jets (laughably called “whisper jets” by Porter PR). Massive increases in car traffic to our waterfront airport will only add to congestion and air pollution. Jets themselves would further add to air pollutants.
Compared with the numbers of residents and tourists who enjoy our waterfront, Porter fliers are a small minority. No matter how much they like Porter’s exemplary service, their pleasures are not more important than those of the rest of us.
As rail service will soon take fliers from downtown to Pearson Airport in 25 minutes, Porter customers will be able to take a Porter jet out of the big airport. Maybe Porter at Pearson would have a positive effect on competitors there. Wouldn’t that be nice!