7th Floor, 150 John Street, Toronto M5V 3E3

http://www.communityair.org/

CommunityAIR - working towards a clean, green waterfront

September 25, 2013

Office of The Secretary 

Department Of Transportation 

Washington, D.C. 

Re Application of PORTER AIRLINES INC. Docket DOT-OST-2007-27402 

In the matter of Porter Airlines, CommunityAIR believes a current initiative under way by 

Porter Airlines should have material effect on the current outstanding application of the 

airline for a Foreign Carrier Permit based on the Air Transport Agreement Between the 

Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada (Open Skies).

On April 22, 2013, Porter Airlines President and CEO Robert Deluce wrote the mayor of 

Toronto requesting the city’s agreement to an amendment to the Tripartite Agreement, a 

three-party covenant that governs the Billy Bishop Toronto Centre Airport (BBTCA). A 

copy of the letter is attached.

As you can see from Page 2 of Mr. Deluce’s letter, Porter Airlines is asking for the current 

jet prohibition at BBTCA, Porter’s Fixed Operations Base, to be lifted for only one aircraft: 

Bombardier’s CS100 jet. 

You are no doubt aware that under Article 5, Fair Competition, Paragraph 2, neither Canada 

nor the U.S. shall unilaterally limit the aircraft type or types operated by the designated 

airlines of the other Party. We believe that Porter Airline’s request does exactly that. Clearly, 

it attempts to limit the aircraft type or types operated by any airlines of the U.S. wishing to 

fly into BBTCA.
7th Floor, 150 John Street, Toronto M5V 3E3

http://www.communityair.org/

We urge the Department of Transport to consider this matter, particularly should the City 

of Toronto accede to Porter’s request, in this outstanding application.

Yours truly,

Brian Iler, Chair 

416-835-4384 (cell)

416-598-0544 (work direct)
April 22, 2013 

Mayor Rob Ford 

Office of the Mayor 

Toronto City Hall 

100 Queen SI. West, 2nd Floor, 

Toronto Ontario 

M5H 2N2 

Your Worship: 

11 was with great excitement on April 10, 2013, Porter unveiled plans to expand our 

list of destinations. These plans will bring significant economic benefits to the City of 

Toronto and also to the travelling public with increased competition and lower 

airfares. As part of these plans, Porter announced a conditional purchase 

agreement with Bombardier for 12 firm CS 1 00 aircraft and purchase rights for six 

Q400 aircraft. 

Seven years ago, we launched Porter with a goal to make air travel a pleasure again. 

Since then, we've grown to 19 destinations, operating 26 Toronto-manufactured 

Q400 aircraft, and carried 2.5 million passengers last year. We have flown over 8 

million passengers since our first flight and are the driving force for over $2 billion of 

annual economic value to the city of Toronto we are proud to call home. Porter has 

created 1,400 direct jobs, with approximately 80 per cent of these at Billy Bishop 

Toronto City Airport. Another 1,000 direct jobs will be added if these new growth 

plans proceed. 

Our plans for the future will allow Porter to operate from our home base at Billy 

Bishop Toronto City Airport to destinations across North America, including 

Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, California, Florida and the Caribbean. 

We believe opening up these new, longer-range destinations will have a positive 

effect on Toronto's economy and competiveness, stimulating new business and 

tourism interest in our city. We have selected the Canadian-made Bombardier 

CS 100 to support our plan. This state-of-art whisper jet is the ideal aircraft to 

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Porter Airlines Inc. 

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport 

Toronto, Ontario 

Canada MSV tAl 

Tel: (416) 203·8100 

Fax: (41 6)203-8 150 

www.lIyponer.com 
operate from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. It is the quietest commercial jet in 

production, has the best performance capabilities and a peerless environmental 

scorecard. 

To realize our plans, we are requesting each of the parties to the Tripartite 

Agreement governing Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport's operation to consider the 

following two amendments: 

1. An exemption from the commercial jet ban in place at Billy Bishop Toronto 

City Airport, only for the CS 100. Providing an exemption only for this whisper 

jet will ensure noisier jet aircraft will not operate from the airport and also 

allow it to continue to maintain its track record as a responsible neighbour. 

2. Approval for a 168 metre extension into the water at each end of the main 

runway 08/26. The runway extension would not require any change to the 

existing marine exclusion zone in place today. The 168 metre extension will 

also be inclusive of and accommodate any potential future requirement to 

implement a 150 metre enhanced Runway End Safety Area at Billy Bishop 

Toronto City Airport. The RESA initiative is currently being evaluated by 

Transport Canada for Canadian airports, and would require a modification to 

the current runway once it is implemented. Any RESA modification is 

independent of Porter's proposal to add the CS100 to the list of approved 

aircraft at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. 

Our request is driven by strong demand from our customers to provide more 

affordable access to more destinations. It is made possible by this remarkable new 

technology from Bombardier. The CS 100 is the only jet that is comparable to the 

sound profile of our current Q400 planes and is quieter than the Dash 8-100, which 

flew from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport for over 20 years. Jet aircraft also operate 

from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport today. Since 1983, the Tripartite has provided 

an exemption for jet aircraft to use Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport for medevac 

purposes. The performance capabilities of the CS 100 also minimize the required 

runway extension to provide service across North America and ensure that it can be 

accomplished without affecting the boating community's existing use of the lake, 

while also accommodating the implementation of anticipated Runway End Safety 

Area requirements. 

Our order with Bombardier is conditional on receiving full support from all three 

parties to the Tripartite Agreement. We will also require a commitment from the 

Toronto Port Authority to proceed with the necessary airport improvements. To 

ensure the parties have sufficient time to finalize the amendment to the Tripartite 

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Agreement, we require the City of Toronto's approval in July 2013. This would allow 

for the infrastructure requirements to be designed and completed ahead of our first 

delivery in early 2016. 

Our track record is proven as a responsible and responsive airline operator, and a 

good neighbour. It's time to take the next step. Providing service across North 

America will influence the economies and competitiveness of all our current 

destinations, stimulating new business and tourism interest. This is especially true for 

Toronto and our home base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. 

Thank you for your consideration, 

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