Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
The opening of YHU next year will be interesting for Porter. This will be their Montreal base. They will certainly have new Montreal services from all over eastern Canada, which potentially could be popular. For Moncton, we have 2x daily AC service to YUL. I think a competing Porter service to YHU will also be popular. |
Several factors are playing against PD at YHU.
1. YHU isn't YTZ. It will take you as much time, if not more, to reach downtown Montreal from YHU compared to YUL. (Right now, driving from YUL to downtown will take you 20 minutes. from YHU to downtown, it's 23 mins.)
2. PD at YHU will be limited to domestic flights only. Quebecers tend to travel internationally, not domestic. (Just look at the weak domestic numbers at YUL as proof)
3. PD will still keep operating from YUL. Operating out of 2 airports adds costs, with marginal gain. After all, it's the same passenger they are after. It's not like people from the south shore of Montreal aren't flying out of YUL. They are.
If the plan was to leave YUL and move everything to YHU, then I would have said it makes sense. But that's not the plan. So the split operation idea will only make PD bleed even more.
I think their plan with YHU is to build the terminal and then sell it to the highest bidder, just like they did at YTZ. It's a real estate move, to raise much needed capital. Nothing more. Whether they stay at YHU after that is anyone's guess. One thing is for sure, they can't leave YUL. Their tie-up with TS is too important now.
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