Image via porterplans.com
Porter Airlines announced today that it has signed a conditional contract with Bombardier to purchase up to 30 CS100 jets for their fleet in order to facilitate expansion to new North American destinations. The new planes would open up planned routes to Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Miami, among other cities. According to Porter’s release, the expansion would also create 1000 new jobs.
For the past 7 years, Porter has been operating Q400 propeller planes out of Torontos Billy Bishop island airport. The new jets have been described as “comparably” quiet with current Q400s and will comply with the city’s current noise restrictions.
Today’s press push aims to rally public support for the expansion plan, which will require municipal and federal government compliance on changes required to enable the plan, as well as agreement with Toronto’s Port Authority, from which Porter leases the airport. Porter’s requests include a call to lengthen the current runway by 10% on each end in order to accommodate the CS100’s take-off and landing requirements. At maximum weight, the new jets would require a minimum runway length of 4,800 for take-off. The current runway stands at 4000 feet and the 10% addition of 800 feet would make the runway just long enough to accommodate the new planes. The proposed extension would not have any effect on the existing marine boundary around the airport.
Porter is also seeking to remove the ban on jets at the airport, set in place 30 years ago by the Tripartite Agreement between the city, the Port Authority and the federal government. At the time jet technology did not meet the same environmental or sound standards it does today.
City Councillor Karen Stintz has already taken to twitter to declare her opposition to the runway extension and use of jets at Billy Bishop.
[via porterplans.com and Toronto Star]
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Eva Voinigescu is an intern at Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter @EvaVoinigescu.
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