Ottawa-Toronto flight plan may get bumpy ride

Details have now emerged abouta new regional airline's plans for flights between Ottawa and Toronto, but opponents may ground the airline before it gets a chance to take off.

Porter Airlines released details on Tuesday of its plans to fly between Ottawa and Toronto's downtown City Centre Airport.

The downtown Toronto location will shave at least half an hour off the average travel time in and out of Pearson airport in the city's west end, Porter CEO Robert Deluce said Tuesday.

The Toronto City Centre Airport is at the west end of the Toronto Islands, just acrossthe harbour from the city.

Deluce also explained why the new airline picked Ottawa as its inaugural route.

"It certainly was the most successful destination that previously was utilized by City Express and originally by Air Ontario and Air Canada Jazz," he said.

Toronto MP voices opposition

But a Toronto member of Parliament said Tuesdaythere are problems with Porter's plan.

Olivia Chow, whose riding includes the island airport, said an expanded use of thefacility would interfere with ongoingefforts to rejuvenate Toronto's waterfront.

"Porter Airlines is acting irresponsibly in announcing flights, because the place where it's flying out of, the island airport, [and] the port authority that administers it, is under review," Chow.

The MP addedthata federally mandated review of the airline's plans casts doubt on whether the company will be formally allowed to operate from Transport Canada.

Deluce, who previously lost a battle to get a bridge built from the mainland to Toronto island, said he's not worried.

The company expects to expand its routes to several other cities, in Quebec, Northern Ontario and the northeastern U.S., he said.