Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW/CYOW) 1.0

[acottawa]

I couldn't imagine YOW having the passenger volume to support a train link (at least one that would go downtown). Some smaller airports (Dublin comes to mind) have a limited stop bus designed for airport use (i.e. with luggage racks) which I think would improve the user experience for those taking public transportation to the airport.

[McC]

trying to take the 97, even with just a piece of carrion (sic) luggage, is a pretty uncomfortable experience if there are any more than a couple of dozen other passengers on the bus. (ditto the 95 to the train station, but the metrO will help with that... eventually). A more appropriately-designed bus would be nice, but I imagine that it would expensive to operate, and a money loser, given the volumes and the fact that you wouldn't want it to be full of strollers, backpacking students and commuters if there's supposed to be room for luggage.

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by McC

trying to take the 97, even with just a piece of carrion (sic) luggage, is a pretty uncomfortable experience if there are any more than a couple of dozen other passengers on the bus. (ditto the 95 to the train station, but the metrO will help with that... eventually). A more appropriately-designed bus would be nice, but I imagine that it would expensive to operate, and a money loser, given the volumes and the fact that you wouldn't want it to be full of strollers, backpacking students and commuters if there's supposed to be room for luggage.

I recall there being Yellow YOW buses. They followed a route to the various hotels. A friend used it once. The service was fine. $15.00 I think. Those buses were smaller, but designed to carry luggage and people.

Haven't seen them in awhile. Maybe the service ended due to lack of demand/customers?

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by NOWINYOW

I recall there being Yellow YOW buses. They followed a route to the various hotels. A friend used it once. The service was fine. $15.00 I think. Those buses were smaller, but designed to carry luggage and people.

Haven't seen them in awhile. Maybe the service ended due to lack of demand/customers?

Ya, it was called the YOW Airporter. It was quite a nice service. I think they stopped running a couple of years ago. The problem is that our airport seems to service business/government travellers who will take a cab at the expense of their employer and families who drive (or get driven) to the airport. I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm always surprized at how empty the 97 is when leaving the airport.

[Luker]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

Ya, it was called the YOW Airporter. It was quite a nice service. I think they stopped running a couple of years ago. The problem is that our airport seems to service business/government travellers who will take a cab at the expense of their employer and families who drive (or get driven) to the airport. I know it's more complicated than that, but I'm always surprized at how empty the 97 is when leaving the airport.

From a Anecdotal perspective, I'd have to concur.

It sure does seem under used and thus makes extending the o-train or lrt there more problematic despite all the other reasons highlighted above.

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by Luker

From a Anecdotal perspective, I'd have to concur.

It sure does seem under used and thus makes extending the o-train or lrt there more problematic despite all the other reasons highlighted above.

No doubt it's one reason the Airport Authority doesn't have a proposed plan in place for funding LRT or O-Train.

I would argue that an effective LRT *might* be beneficial to those who work at the airport. Concessions etc. At $15/trip, the YOW bus was too cost prohibitive. However, the 97 does provide service for those employees who require public transit.

Don't forget, the City of Ottawa collects a *fare* share of taxi revenue through licence fees. Albeit a relatively small amount compared to overall revenue.

[YOWflier]

Porter CEO Robert Deluce was in town today for the mayor's breakfast.

Watson is on record as wanting to court Porter for increased services to/from Ottawa, even making Ottawa a Porter "hub-ette" in the event that Porter and Toronto can't come to terms on an expansion to accommodate its CSeries aircraft.

It may be something of a long shot, but I still hope Watson and/or Laroche (OMCIAA CEO) are pursuing this strongly.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

... even making Ottawa a Porter "hub-ette"

or a "Hub-bit". Welcome to The Shire!

• Video Link

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Porter CEO Robert Deluce was in town today for the mayor's breakfast.

Watson is on record as wanting to court Porter for increased services to/from Ottawa, even making Ottawa a Porter "hub-ette" in the event that Porter and Toronto can't come to terms on an expansion to accommodate its CSeries aircraft.

It may be something of a long shot, but I still hope Watson and/or Laroche (OMCIAA CEO) are pursuing this strongly.

There may be some merit to this thinking. Porter would need to re-introduce some of the YTZ-YOW flights. Possibly also putting on YUL-YOW. Points east would need to be considered.

Porter would need to evaluate the potential for stable routes from YOW with feed provided by YTZ, YUL and points east.

I'm not holding up much hope that this will happen, but it might.

[McC]

Porter's load factors are borderline as it is, if they can't fill their planes with downtown Toronto as their major driver of origin traffic (supplemented with connecting hub traffic), how would small-market Ottawa make a better hub for them? I think forcing traffic from Toronto to hub through Ottawa would really hurt their value proposition in their biggest market.

[Luker]

Originally Posted by McC

Porter's load factors are borderline as it is, if they can't fill their planes with downtown Toronto as their major driver of origin traffic (supplemented with connecting hub traffic), how would small-market Ottawa make a better hub for them? I think forcing traffic from Toronto to hub through Ottawa would really hurt their value proposition in their biggest market.

Agreed.

Toronto airport is more central to its primary customer within the GTA; and their primary routes, shorter intercontinental business destinations(major cities, especially those which are hubs).

Second, Toronto is more central to the Canadian and U.S. Population bases and major cities.

Third, rerouting to Ottawa for hub purposes would involve extended flying times and layovers not to mention would literally be off route in comparison to its current operations out of Toronto.

Fourth, I'm fairly confident that Porter will get there runways/islands extended and their hub improved once they require it for their new larger Bombardier C Series Aircrafts.

[YowItaliano]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Porter CEO Robert Deluce was in town today for the mayor's breakfast.

Watson is on record as wanting to court Porter for increased services to/from Ottawa, even making Ottawa a Porter "hub-ette" in the event that Porter and Toronto can't come to terms on an expansion to accommodate its CSeries aircraft.

It may be something of a long shot, but I still hope Watson and/or Laroche (OMCIAA CEO) are pursuing this strongly.

If Porter was able to convince Toronto to expand the island airport, wouldnt they need somewhere to service the c-series planes?? The island airport has no room!! Maybe Ottawa could be the spot where they build a hanger to service them and add more flights making it a "hub-ette"!!

[McC]

If they need more space than they have at YTZ, my guess would be that they would service the planes at the Bombardier facility at Downsview. Or nearby, because they'd have all the right spanners and driver bits ready to borrow! ;-)

[YowItaliano]

Originally Posted by McC

If they need more space than they have at YTZ, my guess would be that they would service the planes at the Bombardier facility at Downsview. Or nearby, because they'd have all the right spanners and driver bits ready to borrow! ;-)

GOOD point!!!
Well at least we have Paris and Miami coming. Our new CEO has made that his priority. We need it to be Air France as well, to give YOW some real competition to Europe.

[McC]

I don't see that happening soon, the AF/KLM coach to YUL is our competition to Europe, they rely on it to keep their YUL-CDG/AMS flights full and competitive.

[YowItaliano]

Originally Posted by McC

I don't see that happening soon, the AF/KLM coach to YUL is our competition to Europe, they rely on it to keep their YUL-CDG/AMS flights full and competitive.

I, along with numerous others, refuse to bus 2 hours back and forth to YUL. Heck, sometimes Air France/KLM is cheaper and I still pay more for the Air Canada FRA flight just to land home in Ottawa after a long return flight. I think Air France /KLM would be surprised by how many more passengers they could get if they would scrap those 3-4 buses daily for one direct flight from YOW to CDG.

[Luker]

Originally Posted by YowItaliano

I, along with numerous others, refuse to bus 2 hours back and forth to YUL. Heck, sometimes Air France/KLM is cheaper and I still pay more for the Air Canada FRA flight just to land home in Ottawa after a long return flight. I think Air France /KLM would be surprised by how many more passengers they could get if they would scrap those 3-4 buses daily for one direct flight from YOW to CDG.

This is true for my extended family and friends as well (many of whom are frequent travellers).

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by YowItaliano

GOOD point!!!
Well at least we have Paris and Miami coming. Our new CEO has made that his priority. We need it to be Air France as well, to give YOW some real competition to Europe.

Feel lucky you have two routes to Europe. Edmonton with many more passengers passing through is still fighting for a second European hub.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by McC

I don't see that happening soon, the AF/KLM coach to YUL is our competition to Europe, they rely on it to keep their YUL-CDG/AMS flights full and competitive.

They do NOT need the Ottawa bus to keep flights YUL-CDG viable at all! That route is massive without the measly Ottawa contribution. I think Paris will be the next Euro destination out of Ottawa once the 787's are online.

[Luker]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Feel lucky you have two routes to Europe. Edmonton with many more passengers passing through is still fighting for a second European hub.

Many more domestic passengers flying to the Oil Sands....