Un autre joueur s’intéresse au marché Québec-Toronto : Donald Carty de Porter Airlines Inc. discute des destinations potentiels de Toronto….NY, Boston, Washington, etc….et …..Québec.
Enfin de la compétition potentiel sur cette route..à voir..
http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/serv...N/ctv-business
Porter Airlines is facing a steep climb
BRENT JANG, Globe and Mail Update
Donald Carty knows that for upstart Porter Airlines Inc. to succeed, it must make a name for itself on transborder routes to the United States from downtown Toronto.
Mr. Carty, Porter’s chairman and a former chief executive officer at American Airlines Inc., believes that Toronto-based Porter will be able to achieve a breakthrough in 2007 by adding New York, Chicago and Boston to its network.
Porter launched Toronto-Ottawa service in October, then added the Toronto-Montreal route in December.
“We’re selling convenience,” Mr. Carty said in an interview at a downtown Toronto hotel, near Porter’s shuttle service to Toronto City Centre Airport.
With the 2005 demise of Jetsgo Corp. and the 2006 shutdown of CanJet Airlines’ scheduled service, Porter has emerged as the fledgling airline to watch, analysts say.
In contrast to Porter’s downtown base, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. have key hubs at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
“We found a unique place to operate,” said Mr. Carty, who was recently named chief financial officer at Dell Inc., the largest computer maker in the world, but will remain as Porter’s chairman.
He said Porter is on track to introduce service to the New York area, first to Newark Liberty International Airport this spring, and then to LaGuardia Airport, possibly later in 2007.
Porter’s list of targeted destinations is based on the popularity of major markets within 925 kilometres of Toronto. After New York, Chicago and Boston, next on the list are Philadelphia and Washington.
Mr. Carty said it isn’t set in stone that Porter will fly to five U.S. cities before focusing again on Canada, but that’s the plan for now.
After Ottawa and Montreal, the three Canadian destinations on tap are: Thunder Bay, Ont., Quebec City and Windsor, Ont. Rounding out Porter’s list of potential destinations — which could take until 2009 or beyond to add — are Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit and the northern Ontario cities of Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
Porter currently runs four Bombardier Q400 planes, and has another six of the turboprops slated for delivery in 2007. If all goes smoothly, Porter may order 10 more 70-seat Q400s, boosting its fleet to 20 of the planes. Porter president Robert Deluce said there are about 220 employees on the airline’s payroll now, and that the number of workers could rise to 500 in 2009.
So far, passenger loads have met expectations, he added. Load factors, or the proportion of available seats filled, have been as low as 10 per cent in off-peak hours, but often exceed 60 per cent and sometimes surpass 70 per cent during busy travel times in the morning and late afternoon, Mr. Deluce said.
Privately owned Porter is marketing itself as an upscale carrier, with leather seats on the aircraft and a business lounge at the airport.
Robert Kokonis, president of AirTrav Inc., an airline and travel management consulting firm, said Porter faces a steep climb. “History hasn’t been kind to airline startups,” he said.
If Porter manages to fill an average of 20 seats a flight during 2007, or a load factor of 28.5 per cent, the airline should be able to survive into 2008, Mr. Kokonis said.
But there are wild cards, he cautioned, noting that if the economy slows considerably and if oil prices surge, then Porter will encounter trouble financially, especially if it is forced to maintain seat sales to attract travellers. As well, the Porter brand is unknown in U.S. markets, so relatively few Americans will be customers at first, Mr. Kokonis said.
Mr. Carty said Porter has a few tricks left up its sleeve, including a customer loyalty program in 2007.
A residents group called Community Air is opposed to expansion at the island airport. Toronto Mayor David Miller also has been battling Porter, but Mr. Carty said he isn’t fazed by the complaints.
“If the Community Air people are right and if the Mayor is right and no one wants a downtown airport, then our airplanes will be empty and there won’t be an airport down here. But if we’re right and the people of Toronto really want the airport, then our business will be successful. It will be determined by the economics,” Mr. Carty said.
Porter is on the verge of overtaking Vancouver-based Harmony Airways to become Canada’s third-largest scheduled carrier serving major markets.
Mr. Carty couldn’t resist poking fun at Harmony, which is owned by wealthy entrepreneur David Ho. “He reminds me of the story of how do you make a small fortune in the airline business? Start with a large one,” Mr. Carty joked, to laughter from Mr. Deluce.
But even Mr. Carty admits that the bragging rights for third place don’t mean much, especially considering there are larger charter operations such as Toronto-based Skyservice Airlines Inc., as well as regional airlines that oversee many more scheduled destinations, including Bearskin Airlines of Thunder Bay, Ont.
He said he’s a realist, so he envisages a lengthy battle to woo passengers away from Air Canada, WestJet and various U.S. carriers
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