Porter Talking about YTZ-YQA

[Lotro]

Saw this little gem on the Globe and Mail about Porter discussing running a seasonal sked service from the island to Muskoka.

http://goo.gl/fSZNP0

My guess is that the math will never work, but I like the idea that people are trying to make something happen. If I won a Powerball Lottery I'd buy a DC3 and run a summer seasonal sked from Toronto to Muskoka just because. Of course, I recognize that after year one, I'd be bankrupt, but hey, it'd fun, wouldn't it?

Whatever happened to the talk of commuter flying service from Hamilton to Toronto?

What's also disconcerting in the article is the mention that the Muskoka airport is a money losing operation... that's never good. I'd hate to see another small airport come under attack

[NAT2]

The Niagara Region has been pitching YSN-YTZ service lately too. 8 minute commute to downtown doesn't sound too bad if you could afford it!

Also, can I have a job at your Dc-3 Muskoka Flying service?

[photofly]

Any new commercial operator into CYTZ is going to have a fine time getting slots. And then negotiating rates for gates and handling with Porter.

If someone wants to run a shuttle service CYTZ - KBUF (10 mins across the lake), using the new pre clearance facilities at CYTZ, now that would sell. But, like I said, good luck with the negotiations.

[pdw]

YTZ - YSN (10 min)
YSN - YQA/YQA - YSN [SN to/from YQA 5min flight-time past YTZ]
YSN - YTZ (15 min)

YSN = Niagara Falls Ca

[Antique Pilot]

Saw this little gem on the Globe and Mail about Porter discussing running a seasonal sked service from the island to Muskoka.

http://goo.gl/fSZNP0

My guess is that the math will never work, but I like the idea that people are trying to make something happen. If I won a Powerball Lottery I'd buy a DC3 and run a summer seasonal sked from Toronto to Muskoka just because. Of course, I recognize that after year one, I'd be bankrupt, but hey, it'd fun, wouldn't it?

Whatever happened to the talk of commuter flying service from Hamilton to Toronto?

What's also disconcerting in the article is the mention that the Muskoka airport is a money losing operation... that's never good. I'd hate to see another small airport come under attack

Trans Canada Airlines ran a summer sked from Toronto to Muskoka using DC-3's in the summers of 1953-54.

AP

[BeechjetYKZ]

The only possible way I can people taking this service is 1) they work downtown and are being met by their family who took the car up north or 2) You are hosting guests who are connecting through YTZ from somewhere else in the Porter network. Logically the whole "I don't want to sit in traffic so we'll fly up every weekend" idea won't work unless you can have a car parked at YQA and potentially another in downtown Toronto. Cottage country is so vast and there are many different places people have cottages, it's not going to be as straight forward as flying to/from Tremblant would be. To me it sounds simpler than it actually would be.

[JBI]

What's interesting about this idea is that the flight would only be up on thursday night and back down on Sunday. I could definitely see there being a market for people who want to get up to cottage country but don't want to deal with bumper to bumper traffic from downtown until the 11 turn off past Barrie. 20 Years ago when my family had a cottage up on Lake of Bays, it would sometimes take an extra 2 - 3 hours on that stretch. While I don't think you're going to get Mom, Dad, the kids and the dog taking Porter instead of loading up the mini-van, I can definitely see Dad going up to visit the rest of the family for the weekend or the teenage/grown-up kids visiting the retired parents for the weekend. Now is that enough to sustain a profitable service?

[rxl]

Anyone remember COLLAIR operated by Collingwood Air Service way back in the late 70's?
Ran YTZ-YQA, YVV and CNY3 with a pair Twin Otters for a short period.

[pdw]

I could definitely see there being a market for people who want to get up to cottage country but don't want to deal with bumper to bumper traffic from downtown until the 11 turn off past Barrie.

Traffic piles up south of TO already; it's a 'one and a half hour' trip to/from TO/SN, sometimes longer. When Canal bridges are raised or SN-Skyway blocked / traffic-jammed, YSN/NiagFalls is on a real island, with water on all sides. Going via YSN brings Cottage Country & City Centre to the 7th wonder and reciprocal, enough demand to sell out easier. These 3 are seldom congested to/from their terminals via local transportation, so a busy Muskoka and Niagara airside immediately boosts those types of businesses nearby.

Quick turnaround pax loading/unloading for these 10-35min enroutes becomes an expensive (more time-consuming) portion of each leg, where efficiency matters most. It's in the best interests of a local government/airport-authority to commit their full support for something like that to work well.

[BingBong]

Doesn't cloud air already do this on th caravan?

[pdw]

As far as we're told here in NF / YSN it's never per seat, only by chartering the aircraft (which I've heard Porter can do).

[lucien_kane]

Hi
Just a quick question. I was just informed I was added to the porter hiring pool. What does that mean exactly?
Also what are the requirements for FO?

[Notta Simfalt]

Hi
Just a quick question. I was just informed I was added to the porter hiring pool. What does that mean exactly?
Also what are the requirements for FO?

There's a whole Porter forum under Airlines. It should have what you're looking for.

[schnitzel2k3]

I feel like this seasonal route would be run at cost or loss, but Porter is doing well in other markets, so visibility and marketing will likely be all this is for.

They are making the most of those Qs I guess.

S.