PORTER LANDS LATE, BUT THAT’S STILL GREAT FOR MUSKOKA AND ITS AIRPORT
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — It was 30 minutes late, but the first regularly-scheduled Porter air flight landed at Muskoka Airport this afternoon to thunderous applause and a water cannon salute.
It touched down from the north at 2:14 p.m., a little more than 20 minutes after leaving its Billy Bishop Airport hub on Toronto Island June 27.
But after four years, what’s a half hour.
A full planeload of 80 fliers that included a busload of Muskoka politicians who drove down this morning, tourism dignitaries, Porter officials and what looked like about 20 or more paying passengers, emerged onto the baking tarmac where they were greeted by a couple hundred Muskokans.
Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce staff held up a banner greeting them: Welcome to Gravenhurst VQA, the flight code for the airport.
New Tourism and Culture Minister Lisa MacLeod and Porter chair Robert Deluce were also on board for the first of the weekend flights that will come in Thursday and leave Monday morning. (Tuesday this week due to Canada Day being Monday.) Passengers can also fly home, as it appeared 10 or so did today after the two-hour stopover.
MacLeod, who referred to herself as having gone from the Minister of Cheers to the Minister of cheers, called the new service great for the local economy, especially with each passenger receiving $100 in local shopping vouchers.
James Murphy, head of Ontario’s regional tourism group, RTO-12, who has been working on this day for four years, called it a great day for Muskoka.
He said one passenger has already booked 10 round trips this summer.
“He always said ‘we can do it,’” MP Tony Clement said of Murphy.
Well, he just did it.
“This one’s for you, Muskoka” said new airport manager Len O’Connor, who took over in February from Mark Stirling, who retired after 12 years.
O’Connor noted that all the paying customers quickly departed the landing party welcome destined for locales across the district.
They boarded an RTO Explore Muskoka shuttle that bussed them to five different drop-off hubs around the district, on one of several scheduled routes planned this summer.
District of Muskoka Chair John Klinck, who gave a nice nod to the airport’s Little Norway roots, acknowledged the efforts of a great number of people made this possible.
He pointed to all the Muskoka mayors, including Bracebridge’s Graydon Smith, Huntsville’s Scott Aitchison and Gravenhurst’s Paul Kelly, who went to Toronto to be on the first flight.
“Kelly called it fantastic for Gravenhurst and Muskoka.
He said it was something all the mayors were onboard with.
Klinck noted the investment that went into the airport because of the Porter flights. And said a lot of it had to do with Transportation Minister Marc Garneau clearing the way for Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) trans-border screening services at the airport to accommodate passengers who can fly internationally.
The small security screening trailer (one of five built for the Vancouver Olympics) is stationed at the airport. It is a requirement to screen all commercial air passengers, and can also accommodate those who are flying to the U.S. and require border screening.
It will have four staff and one supervisor from Pearson Airport and will be open two hours before each of the flights.
Deluce, who said Porter flies into smaller airports than this, but nothing he said as nice and welcoming as Muskoka Airport.
He wouldn’t say, when asked after by MuskokaTODAY.com, what Porter’s investment is.
And he wouldn’t say how long they are committed for, but definitely this summer.
Klinck said the district’s costs were mostly the CATSA, a couple of baggage carts and a new parking lot.
Porter can also purchase fuel at the airport, but typically can fly from Toronto to Muskoka and back without refuelling.
O’Connor said the 14 flights a week aren’t huge for the airport that has about 12,000 flight “movements” each summer and some 15,000 annually, but “they’re a start.”
Everyone is citing Mt. Tremblant where Porter also services.
Their airports have grown and now see regular Porter flights at Christmas, also.
