There wasn't much demand when AC was there before. Porter has done a good marketing job and created the demand. Let the price wars begin!
Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | ?m | ?s | Ports Toronto | Arup
sjc
Active Member
Porter doesn't really create demand*. Outisde of the private pilot community, there isn't really "demand" for the island airport. The demand that Porter meets is for an inexpensive, convenient and fast way of getting to neighbouring (and some not-so-neighouring) cities.
For example, if VIA was to provide faster, cheaper, more frequent and more comfortable service from union station to Ottawa, I would likely take that rather than Porter.
I'm in favour of the island airport because I can't see any viable alternative that would provide better service. I flew to Ottawa last week -- I left my uptown apartment at 5:45am and was at the University of Ottawa at 8am. My meeting ended at 3pm and I was home at 5:30pm. Come up with a faster alternative and I will be on board.
*Advertising can potentially create demand by making people consider a trip they might not otherwise taken (I flew to Mount Tremblant to go skiing because Porter started offering the service when I was not planning to go skiing at all). However, I strongly suspect that majority of Porter flights are trips that would have happened by some other transport if Porter had not been there.
For example, if VIA was to provide faster, cheaper, more frequent and more comfortable service from union station to Ottawa, I would likely take that rather than Porter.
I'm in favour of the island airport because I can't see any viable alternative that would provide better service. I flew to Ottawa last week -- I left my uptown apartment at 5:45am and was at the University of Ottawa at 8am. My meeting ended at 3pm and I was home at 5:30pm. Come up with a faster alternative and I will be on board.
*Advertising can potentially create demand by making people consider a trip they might not otherwise taken (I flew to Mount Tremblant to go skiing because Porter started offering the service when I was not planning to go skiing at all). However, I strongly suspect that majority of Porter flights are trips that would have happened by some other transport if Porter had not been there.
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Well, ok, if you want to get semantically picky 
. But fact is, not much was going on there when AC was flying, and now it's busier. Porter obviously offered a service that people wanted at a price they were willing to pay. Good for the little guy, I say.
. But fact is, not much was going on there when AC was flying, and now it's busier. Porter obviously offered a service that people wanted at a price they were willing to pay. Good for the little guy, I say.sjc
Active Member
Absolutely.
When Air Ontario was flying out of the island, there was pretty good service to Ottawa and Montreal. But then they became Jazz and reduced their service to where the first flight to Ottawa in the morning was 8:30am and the last flight back was 4:30pm. Not too useful for same day travel. There was no weekend service at all.
When Air Ontario was flying out of the island, there was pretty good service to Ottawa and Montreal. But then they became Jazz and reduced their service to where the first flight to Ottawa in the morning was 8:30am and the last flight back was 4:30pm. Not too useful for same day travel. There was no weekend service at all.
LAz
Active Member
I think that their main thing is their cheap fares - am I right or wrong?
Is it right or wrong that they are gonna expand the airport? Someone told me that a few days ago.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
Originally cheap fares were a significant part of it. The fares aren't really different from their competitors now but Porter does have better service and the downtown location.
There are plans for eventually increasing the number of commercial aircraft that can be handled by moving some functions to the other side of the field. There are no plans for expanding the footprint of the airport.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Well, ok, if you want to get semantically picky
Well, if we are counting Edgestone Capital Partners and Borealis (Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Systems) as "little guys" I guess so!
I like Porter but, like their competitors, they are big business/big capital......that's what it takes to start and run an airline.
LordWanker
Active Member
Looks like Porter will officially have competition from Air Canada and Continental.
kEiThZ
Superstar
They've rarely ever been cheaper and usually not by much (few dollars). The time and cost savings come from not having to trudge out to Pearson. Especially from the central and eastern portions of the city, it's nice to be able to easily access the airport using transit. I don't think even high speed rail could be cheaper or faster door-to-door.
It's the CommunityAIR folks that portray everything as expansion. The airport is seeing increasing services. There is no expansion of the airport's footprints. Nor has the restriction on non-prop aircraft been lifted.
Mapleson
Active Member
- $2.6 million for an Equipment Maintenance building;
- $2.26 million for additional snow removal equipment,
- $800,000 to establish a dedicated airport policing structure to enhance passenger safety;
- $660,000 for an engine "run-up" noise barrier;
- $300,000 to redesign the airport's turning circle to improve efficiency; and
- $240,000 to resurface taxiways.
sjc
Active Member
While a new building (equipment maintenance building) could be considering an expansion, none of the other items in that list involve expansion of anything.
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Strange, no demand for travel at BBIA yet Jazz wants more than double the number of slots they were given. Guess they want to fly empty planes.
Mapleson
Active Member
No demand? I thought last year was their best year on record.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/07/c9426.htmlTPA said:
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Yes I'm agreeing with you. I was being sarcastic. Jazz was here years ago and people said there wasn't enough demand to support the service, yet now as Jazz returns they want upwards of 90 landing slots for an airport that a mere few years ago didn't have enough demand.
Obviously there's a market and Porter has defined and advertised to that market, and been successful.
Mapleson
Active Member
Went completely over my head.