Poll: Do you support Porter's plans to expand island airport?
The airline wants the east-west runway in Lake Ontario lengthened to accommodate C-series jets and more flight destinations
Porter Airlines requested an airport expansion at Billy Bishop Airport in spring that would add 168 metres on each side of its runway. A public consultation into Porter's expansion plans gets underway Wednesday afternoon
On Tuesday, one day before the consult, Porter asked for even more expansion — adding 200 metres on each side.
The airline wants the east-west runway in Lake Ontario lengthened to accommodate C-series jets the company is planning to add to its fleet. The new jets would allow the airline to fly to more distant destinations such as Florida and California, where the current Q400 turboprops cannot.
Before the runway can be extended, Porter will first need to amend an existing tripartite agreement between the city, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority.
As part of that process, the city will hold two public consultation workshops about the issue. The consultation process will wrap up with a town hall meeting on Sept. 12.
But what do you think of the airport expansion?