2 airlines interested in Toronto island airport

The Toronto Port Authority said Wednesday that two airlines have applied to provide service using the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the city's waterfront.

The airlines were not identified, but Air Canada is believed to be interested in adding the island airport to its destinations as soon as possible.

Previous reports also said severalU.S. airlines had expressed an interest in the airport.

Porter Airlines is currently the only airline offering service using the island airport.

The Toronto Port Authority saidthe proposals would now be reviewed but did not provide a timeline for the process. The review will be done in conjunction with Airport Co-ordination Ltd., a British-based consulting firm hired to help with the assessment.

"Once assessed, the proposals that meet the RFP requirements for additional commercial airline carriers will then be further evaluated by ACL as part of the slot allocation process," said Geoff Wilson, president and chief executive of the Toronto Port Authority.

At the end of 2009, Porter said it averaged about 110 takeoffs and landings per day at the airport and was expecting to increase that number to 120 a day in 2010.

At the same time the port authority said between 42 and 92 more flights a day could be added in 2010 a potential air traffic increase of 75 per cent.

Some city residents and politicians, including Toronto Mayor David Miller, are opposed to any expansion of the airport, arguing that a busy airport facility downtown, with its noise and environmental toll, is not suited to residential neighbourhoods and recreational activities on the waterfront.

Opponents say more than 200 arrivals and departuresa day would violate a 1983 agreement between the City of Toronto, the Toronto Port Authority and the government of Canada.

Any new operatorsat the islandairport would also have to negotiate terminal space from City Centre Terminal Corp., whose parent company also owns Porter Airlines.

Porter is completing a $45 million renovation of its island terminal to outfit it with a second passenger lounge, new aircraft gates and Canadian and U.S. customs checkpoints.

Air Canada's regional Jazz carrier cut its service from downtown Toronto in 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, which refused to approve a lease that would allow Jazz to use the island's facilities.