Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | ?m | ?s | Ports Toronto | Arup

[sjc]

Porter sees IPO on the horizon

It sounds like we might see an opportunity to invest in Porter before too long.

With its final two aircraft slated for delivery in early 2010, Porter must decide whether it will place another order for the fuel-efficient aircraft soon, Mr. Deluce said. If it does, Porter would most likely finance the purchase through funds raised in a public offering, he said....While it is too speculative to give a time frame, Mr. Deluce said, the two-year wait for new aircraft does apply some urgency to the matter. "If we're going to do it, we're going to have to get in the queue," he said.

 

[Whoaccio]

Take that Peggy Nash.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

An idea of what a Q400 actually sounds like if you are on the ramp near the runway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-il2VZQt3HU

Judge for yourself if this is too loud. This is about as close as you can get to the aircraft going past you at full power.

This year landings are considerably louder than years past, from Queen's Quay. Could that be the new aircraft?

 

[kEiThZ]

Porter sees IPO on the horizon

It sounds like we might see an opportunity to invest in Porter before too long.

I hope not. Part of the reason Porter has been succesful and so well managed is because they are in private hands. If they have to respond to quarterly performance driven shareholders, Porter will end up becoming another Air Canada....and let's face it, unlike AC, the federal government will not bailout Porter if it's ever in trouble.

 

[kEiThZ]

This year landings are considerably louder than years past, from Queen's Quay. Could that be the new aircraft?

Fuller aircraft = higher weight = more take-off power + higher airframe drag noise on approach.

Other than that, I can't see why they would be noisier. The nextgen birds are supposed to be a bit quieter.

 

[lordmandeep]

Holy Crap at that St. Marteen Video.

I did a freeze frame the plane was about half a body height above the people standing there.

So it was at max 9 feet above the ground!

 

[Mr.Tang]

I hope not. Part of the reason Porter has been succesful and so well managed is because they are in private hands. If they have to respond to quarterly performance driven shareholders, Porter will end up becoming another Air Canada....and let's face it, unlike AC, the federal government will not bailout Porter if it's ever in trouble.

I think this might be a bit of a stretch. It might end up being true, but it also may well not. Quarterly reporting and having shareholder directors involved need not make the company any less well run. There are hundreds of years of history from which to draw both successful and unsuccessful private and public company examples. Porter may want to IPO simply to gain additional capital in order to expand the operations. Alternatively, Deluce may just want to cash in his chips before this notoriously unprofitable industry takes it away from him.

 

[jn_12]

Nothing new (to me at least).

I think the big problem they'd have is having to open up the books. The anti-Porter folks would have a field day picking it apart.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Nothing new (to me at least).

I think the big problem they'd have is having to open up the books. The anti-Porter folks would have a field day picking it apart.

Although if they're willing to go to IPO and open the books than I'm less concerned about their financial position. It'll shut them up or strengthen their resolve either way, that's for sure.

 

[jn_12]

Well they're okay with their current financial position because they have more money than any airline start-up has ever had invested in them from the beginning. I used to get asked by people all the time if Porter would ever go public, and that's because there was a belief that the airline has a strong future. Current numbers can be tossed out the window if enough people perceive that the airline has a strong future. Short term losses for long term gain.

The company was profitable in 2008, but Chicago was a dud for a long time Christmas was a disaster and both might have bit into their profit margins. I'll ask my friends if they've received quarterly profit sharing cheques for 09 like they were supposed to. We got a cheque for the whole year in 08 and it was the equivalent of two week's work.

Either way, they need the money to expand. The business model has changed and now they need to figure out what to do without a strong American presence for the next few years. I don't think they want to appear stagnant.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Fuller aircraft = higher weight = more take-off power + higher airframe drag noise on approach.

Other than that, I can't see why they would be noisier. The nextgen birds are supposed to be a bit quieter.

As I got further west on Queens Quay I finally figured out that the odd noise was the aircraft, and it was the birds landing not taking off.

 

[kEiThZ]

As I got further west on Queens Quay I finally figured out that the odd noise was the aircraft, and it was the birds landing not taking off.

Heavier planes require more lift, which means they have a higher angle of attack, which means that they have more airframe drag, which is what produces the bulk of the noise you hear during an approach. That's why the argument of jet vs. prop is not always relevant when discussing aircraft noise. Sometimes, it's just how big the bird is.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Heavier planes require more lift, which means they have a higher angle of attack, which means that they have more airframe drag, which is what produces the bulk of the noise you hear during an approach. That's why the argument of jet vs. prop is not always relevant when discussing aircraft noise. Sometimes, it's just how big the bird is.

Thanks, makes sense.

 

[catcher_of_cats]

Everytime I am along the western waterfront I never here the Porter planes but I do hear the smaller aircraft and the medivac.

 

[sjc]

It looks like Air Canada is going to make an effort to gain back market share from Porter. I suspect they are really missing those premium passengers that they used to be able to rely on for large fares.

Battle Heats Up Over "Triangle" Business Passengers

"Porter is a very able competitor and there's no question that they have a very good product," Calin Rovinescu, chief executive of Air Canada, said yesterday. "We are mindful of that and are looking at ways of responding ... we are looking at providing an improved product in the triangle.".....Air Canada is now looking at relaunching an enhanced version of its former Rapidair service, a high-frequency air shuttle for Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Although Air Canada continues to operate a similar schedule linking those cities, the service is no longer being operated as a separate brand, with its own expedited check-in counters.