I have been against the fixed link to the Toronto City Centre Airport from the start, thinking that it would lead to further expansion of the airport. According to John Barber’s column in today’s Globe And Mail, that was the plan all along. (Thanks to Andrew Spicer for that link.)

However, John Barber’s column is far from the last word on the topic of the island airport. Earlier today, the Globe And Mail posted a follow-up article on their website with a response from the CEO of the Toronto Port Authority:

According to the statement, Ms. Raitt noted “all three parties to the agreement have clearly agreed from the outset that there would be ‘no jets’ and ‘no runway expansion’ at the TCCA. We intend to keep that promise.

So now the question is, who are we to believe? Air Canada Jazz, who are pressuring the Toronto Port Authority into opening the island airport to commercial jet service, or The Toronto Port Authority, whose current CEO says that there will be no jets? One thing is for certain: CEOs can leave their posts, but corporate pressure to increase profits and break into new markets is constant.

Note: David Miller is the only mayoral candidate completely opposed to expansion of the Toronto Island airport, including the creation of a fixed link.

Update: Andrew Spicer has dutifully written a follow-up to the above article.