Porter airport proposal decision deferred

City council's executive committee has voted to wait until the new year before making a decision on the proposed runway extension of Billy Bishop airport.

Porter Airlines wants to fly jets in and out of the airport, a move that would require significant upgrades.

The executive committee was voting on a staff report asking council to delay a final decision on the plan until 2015. It says more study of the plan is required.

The committee will come back to the issue in January.

Porter Airlines has sought to extend the length of both ends of the island airport, so that it would be suitable for landing jets. But the airline needs to get the approval of the city, the port authority and Transport Canada to make this happen.

After the vote, Coun. Adam Vaughan said any talk about expanding the airport is "ridiculous" because neighbourhood streets surrounding the airport already can't support current levels of parking and traffic.

"Getting the passenger load in and out of that neighbourhood now is problematic," he said. "The current situation requires an immediate investment in infrastructure."

Porter CEO Robert Deluce said the company's expansion plans are solid and will eventually get the green light.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," said Deluce. "We think this is very doable."