Preville on Politics
The Globe and Mail eagerly sounds the Porter Airlines death knell, for the 118th time
Posted on May 20, 2008 by Philip Preville
Let’s play a game of You Be the Editor. Here’s the deal: the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration forces a local airline to shut down one of its seven return flights each weekday between Toronto and Newark, N.J. News? Yes. Front-page news? Of course not—unless you’re the Globe and Mail. No one has it in for Porter Airlines like the Globe. Ditto for Porter’s landlord, the Toronto Port Authority, a piddling public sector organization that, like the Freemasons, is assumed to nefariously wield much more power and influence than it does and, all told, takes up far more space and time in the city’s public imagination than it deserves.
If you’ve been reading the Globe this past week, you’ve surely noticed that the TPA is the political equivalent of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with stories galore about internal rifts and hiring intrigue—all of which probably left you wondering why you should care. And why should you care? Because there are airplanes! Downtown! In the city! Apparently it’s a travesty.
Philip Preville
Veteran freelance writer Philip Preville lived much of his life in Montreal and Edmonton before he was lured, like so many Torontonians before him, by the promise of more work and a better living. A National Magazine Award winner and former Canadian Journalism Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, Preville writes Toronto Life’s politics column. He lives with his wife and one-year-old son in Riverdale, just close enough to the Don Valley Parkway that he can hear it when he steps outside his house—but just far enough away that it doesn’t keep him awake at night. On his office wall hangs a 1938–39 press pass belonging to his grandfather, Elias Gannon, who wrote for the Montreal Star.
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Comments
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Dave May 20, 2008 at 5:38 p.m.
I love Porter....I especially love that every flight that takes off is another symbol of Miller's utter failure as mayor. Remember during his first campaign he said that he'd close the airport down? I notice that he doesn't mention it these days.
As for the TPA, it exists solely to be an excuse as to why nothing can be done with the waterfront - except building condos of course.
Alan May 20, 2008 at 5:47 p.m.
Porter is absolutely fantastic. It's so easy for me to get to Montreal and now New York City - my regular business stops - avoiding the time-sapping, soul-sucking Pearson airport.
The (very very short) ferry ride is kinda silly, but fun. David Miller is to thank for that.
I would find it hard to believe that no one from the Globe has used Porter - it's practically walking distance from their Front St. offices.
ambridge May 20, 2008 at 6:02 p.m.
I flew Porter to Newark I few times earlier this spring. Once taking the last flight on a Friday evening there were three, count 'em three paying customers. After explaining the emergency exits and serving the drinks, the stews filed their nails and did the crossword puzzle. It all made me think that Porter was a front for something.
joe May 20, 2008 at 6:24 p.m.
Dave - Miller promised to stop the bridge from being built to the Island Airport, and although he wants the airport closed, he never made it a political promise, as that is out of his jurisdiction.
Dave May 20, 2008 at 7:48 p.m.
"...he never made it a political promise, as that is out of his jurisdiction."
Since when has that mattered? From his demand for a handgun ban to his plea for 1 cent of the GST, Miller loves to make lots of noise about things that are out of his jurisdiction. He just shuts up when he fails.....which is often.
Gabriel May 21, 2008 at 8:06 a.m.
I too have to say that Porter is by far the most unique experience I have ever had in aviation! I have had the opportunity to fly to all their destinations more than once and have really watched the company grow. Their passenger load factor has dramatically increased and their plans for growth have obviously been put into motion. They have something that we the public really should embrace. How can we not? They have great, safe, well maintained new aircraft. They far exceed the level of professionalism and customer service than any airline in North America. The have brought many jobs to the area and really have delivered on all their promises! I think they're here to stay and I personally am quite grateful for that. If I never have to go to Pearson again....it will still be too soon! lol
ps. The comment about their Newark run having 3 passengers and the company being a front. When an airline introduces a new destination, it takes sometimes months for the public to catch on and really start using the service. Judging by the passenger loads I've seen. Porter is way ahead of the game and are flying at a very profitable load factor. The great thing about their sleek, environmentally friendly planes is that their 'break even' point is only 10 passengers! That's amazing and is the reason they picked such and amazing aircraft which by the way was built here in Toronto!
Keep up the chat!
Mark Dowling May 21, 2008 at 8:39 a.m.
The New York Times' Frugal Traveller flew Porter last week:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/tra...
The NIMBY protest at the quay leads off the accompanying video piece.
The ironic thing is that Air Canada and Continental's relatively fuel guzzling jets have their slots grandfathered from Pearson to Newark. If the slots were allocated on the basis of fuel burn rather than time held it's likely that both AC and Continental would have been the ones to lose Toronto-Newark capacity.
Shawn May 21, 2008 at 5:03 p.m.
Dave> When people read "utter failure," you cease to be interesting or worth listening to. You can be anti-Miller, but at least be intelligent about it.
JD May 22, 2008 at 1:48 p.m.
I still can’t understand the animosity toward Porter Airlines. Instead of the gas guzzlers that fly out of Pearson on relatively short flights (e.g. Toronto to Ottawa), Porter’s Q400 aircraft are very quiet and far more fuel efficient, not to mention the reduction in traffic congestion that is produced by cars making the 27km trek to Pearson. While it is important to find a balance in urban planning between commerce and the environment, Toronto is still what it is, a city. Let it be a city. And if someone is opposed to Porter because it interferes with their desire to live a bucolic lifestyle, then maybe they should move to Guelph.
Inwood May 27, 2008 at 5:50 p.m.
Sitting at YTZ as I type this. Look, I was fully against the Island airport on principle, but only if you could get to Pearson easily by rail (like you can in, you know, any decent first-class North American city. St. Louis and Cleveland have them, for crying out loud.) Since Toronto somehow can't get its act together on a rail link, thank god for Porter showing how to do urban airports right. I encourage anyone who wants to complain about Porter to first try flying it. Incredible service, best terminal in North America, and all the little things (like free snacks while you wait and dozens of computer terminals) that make flying fun.
Meanwhile, Toronto Tourism should give them a medal for actually making Toronto look like a nicer place than Vancouver or Montreal. There is no better way to impress an American that Toronto is some kind of utopian "city that works" than to introduce them to the metropolis via the view from the Island and to drop them off at a sleek ferry terminal in the middle of glass condos and waterfront parks. No sea of asphalt, no suburban is-this-Atlanta? sprawl. Fan-freaking-tastic. Way to go, Porter. May you continue to make Toronto look good.