TORONTO – WestJet is hoping to fly jets in and out of Billy Bishop Airport, according to a report in Bloomberg News.
“We would like to have access to the island airport but there are no slots available,” WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky told Bloomberg.
“We would like to have the opportunity to fly jets ourselves from that airport. The 737 is capable of operating off the runway at Billy Bishop.”
Landing jets at the island airport is currently prohibited by a 1983 Tripartite Agreement between the Toronto Port Authority, city council and federal government which allows only propeller planes to land at the island airport.
But that could change next year – city council is expected to debate a proposal to increase operations at the airport.
In April, Porter Airlines CEO Robert Deluce proposed extending the runway 168 metres and modifying the Tripartite Agreement in April in order to safely land jets.
The plan has found favour with the mayor who suggested in April that it could be “great for business.” But the plan is not without its detractors, including councillor Adam Vaughan (who worries about noise levels) and a grassroots community NoJetsTO.
City council is expected to make a decision on the motion in the new year.
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