Historicist: Life in Wartime
Weekend Planner: November 7–8, 2009
We're sooo confused by the actions of the Toronto Port Authority that we don't even know whether Jazz's decision not to resume service into the Island Airport is a good or bad thing anymore.
All we know is that Jazz, which has used the Island Airport for over 16 years, has been denied service by the TPA. Nonetheless the TPA is still allowing Porter Air to start its raccoon-inspired service in the fall. We don't like the Island Airport and wouldn't want flights to increase but keeping it open as a monopoly to one airline reeks of so much corruption that we're instantly wary of what the TPA is doing.
Quoting from Jazz' press release:
"Here we have the unprecedented situation where a long-term operator is having to do battle with the management of an airport simply to resume a longstanding service and remain its customer. It is obvious that by denying Jazz fair and equal access to these public facilities, the TPA has decided to create a virtual monopoly on behalf of a single corporate interest. In fact, by the TPA's own admission in a letter publicly released on July 26, 2006, the Authority has entered into an agreement with another airline which limits the activity of carriers at Toronto City Centre Airport except one."
Can someone just please put the TPA and the island aiport out of its misery and end all this nonsense?
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I'd find these complaints of "corruption" on the part of Jazz and the various opponents of Toronto City Centre Airport more convincing if Air Canada and Jazz had made any attempt over the past three years to improve service from Toronto City Centre Airport; if Air Canada had not attempted to influence the last city election by issuing a call for jets at Toronto City Centre Airport; and if the wealthy, articulate and well-connected downtown opponents of Toronto City Centre Airport did not quite openly hope that Air Canada would drive any upstarts out of business using their well-known tactics of predatory pricing.
The evidence over the past year clearly suggests that the downtown residents and Air Canada have shared interests. The downtown residents want the advantages of air transportation with none of the environmental costs. Air Canada wants to preserve its system of connections, connections based around its dominant position at Pearson. Neither side has yet acknowledged the people of Rexdale and Malton, who end up living with the noise and pollution produced by a single centralised airport hub.