Kip Powick Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Airport, Air Canada at odds over gates, again By RICHARD BLOOM Wednesday, March 31, 2004 – The Globe and Mail Page B3 Toronto's Pearson International Airport is once again taking insolvent Air Canada to court, asking the judge supervising the airline's restructuring to force it to relinquish three gates in Terminal 2 -- space that was earmarked for rival WestJet Airlines Inc. According to a motion filed to the Ontario Superior Court by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority -- Pearson's not-for-profit parent -- Air Canada had said it would vacate all 22 of the gates it has exclusive access to in Terminal 2 once it moves its operations to the new Terminal 1. (That shift is slated to take place April 6.)However, the GTAA says it was informed on March 26 that Air Canada will only relinquish 19 gates, retaining the remaining three for its overflow traffic. "From our point of view, it's very clear," said GTAA spokesman Steve Shaw. "They said 22 gates . . . they are the gates that Air Canada said they would provide for us to accommodate WestJet now and in the future." Air Canada sought court protection from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act on April 1, 2003, and has been trying to work out a restructuring proposal ever since. The GTAA filing states that of the 22 gates, 12 were allocated to be demolished when the second phase of the GTAA's $4.4-billion expansion program begins later this year. The remaining 10 gates were to be fitted with a common-use system allowing them to be used by WestJet and other airlines. "We want [the three disputed gates] to be common use, which means they will have access to them, but on a common use basis," said Mr. Shaw, adding that Air Canada, instead, wants to have them all to itself. As part of the motion, the GTAA submitted an affidavit from Air Canada vice-president Montie Brewer, in which he said the airline would no longer require the gates and that they could be reallocated to WestJet. In a prepared statement, Air Canada spokeswoman Laura Cooke said, " The GTAA motion material we received today is currently being reviewed by our lawyers. We will file responding documents in the coming days and will therefore defer comment until the court filing." WestJet did not return calls. The GTAA hopes to present its case to Mr. Justice James Farley on April 15, the document says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Landlocked Newf Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Very interesting, AC is playing the game quite well in the handover of their T2 turf (mmm, alliteration, my grade 9 english teacher would be proud). I'm assuming that these gates are the soon to be ex-Rapidair gates and not the gates at the far end of the pier. Certainly sounds similar to the GTAA's bout of wanting to have your cake and eat it too that started all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Takes 2 to Tango...... Guess AC is tired of the Gtaa's game and thought that they would throw a curve at them. one question I have is , aren't the gates from 220- 203 supposed to be closed when the new terminal opens up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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