Toronto island airport could expand in 2010

Toronto's island airportcould beexpanded in 2010because more airlines have expressed interest in flying out of the busy commuter hub, the Toronto Port Authority says.

Currently, Porter Airlines is the only commercial carrier operating from the airport, which in November was renamed the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, in honour of the First World War flying ace.

Porter said ithad an average110 takeoffs and landingsa day at the end of 2009. It expects toincrease that number to120 a day in early 2010.

However, the Toronto Port Authority which operates the facility on a small island just off Toronto's downtown, said in a recent statement that between 42 and 92 more flights a day could be added in 2010 a potential air traffic increase of 75 per cent.

Geoff Wilson, the port authority'sCEO, said the organization has received a number of"informal proposals" from airlines expressing interestin flying out of the airport andwillnow "solicit formal business proposals" from airlines interested in securing slots.

Air Canada and, according to reports,several major U.S. airlines are interested in flying out of the airport.

"Our objective is to increase and diversify the number of destinations serviced by the airport," Wilson said in the release. "There are many attractive short haul destinations that are still not served by the BBTCA."

Theport authority's statementfollows a preliminary report it received outlining the results of an updated noise impact study and capacity assessment of the airport.

Some city residents and politicians including Toronto Mayor David Miller are opposed to the expansion, arguing that a busy airport facility downtown, with its noise and environmental toll,is notsuited to residential neighbourhoods and recreational activities on the city's waterfront.

Brian Iler of the groupCommunityAIR said expanding the airport tomore than 200arrivals and departures perday would violate a 1983 agreement between the City of Toronto, the TPA and the government of Canada.

"I dont know what the port authority is thinking about when they say theyre going to expand to 212. Thats not on. Itstotally not permitted, and it cant happen."

Any new operators on the island facility would first have to negotiate terminal space from City Centre Terminal Corp., whose parent companyalso ownsPorter Airlines.

Porter beganflyingout ofthe island airport in fall 2006. The commuter airline is currently completing a $45-million renovation of its island terminalto outfit it with a second passenger lounge, new aircraft gates and Canadian and U.S. customs checkpoints by spring 2010.

Air Canada's regionalJazz carrier cut its service from downtown Torontoin March 2006, after it was evicted from the airport. It later sought to restore daily service to Ottawa and Montreal, but was rebuffed by the port authority, whichrefused to approve a lease that would allowJazz to use the island's facilities.