Passenger study confirms majority of Billy Bishop Airport passengers are business users

Recent Ipsos poll of Torontonians didn't focus solely on airport users, frequency of use, or visitors to the City

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2013 /CNW/ - The Toronto Port Authority ("TPA"), owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport ("Billy Bishop Airport"), confirmed today that 59 per cent of business travelers continue to be the airport's primary customer.

Between October 10 to 17, 2012, Advitek Data Collection Services ("Advitek") conducted a survey of 1,029 passengers (http://www.toronto.ca/planning/pdf/tp_strategic_plan/Airport-Passenger-Survey-Summary-Report.pdf) from around North America who traveled in and out of Billy Bishop Airport. Advitek used a face to face methodology and asked passengers a list of concise questions.

A major conclusion of this survey was that the majority of passengers (approximately 59 per cent) use Billy Bishop Airport for business travel (page 17, figure 3.12 Purpose of Trip).  Almost 37 per cent use the airport for pleasure travel.

"The Advitek study revealed that our core customers use Billy Bishop Airport for business, and that 30 per cent of all passengers use the airport one or two times monthly. This is consistent with business use travel patterns" said TPA President and CEO, Geoff Wilson.

The Advitek study was conducted to support work being done by the City of Toronto as part of its Strategic Transportation Study that examines current transportation conditions at and around Billy Bishop Airport and Eireann Quay. The Toronto & East York Community Council directed City staff on May 15, 2012 to undertake the study in consultation the TPA and the Toronto District School Board and make recommendations on the long term traffic operations at Eireann Quay and surrounding streets.

The TPA also conducts a yearly telephone public opinion poll of 700 Torontonians to measure and track their views on all aspects of the TPA's business, including Billy Bishop Airport (http://www.torontoport.com/TorontoPortAuthority/media/TPASiteAssets/PDFs/Miscellaneous/TPA-survey-for-posting.pdf)).  The poll is conducted by Ipsos Reid, Canada's leading provider of public opinion research.  The methodology of this opinion poll and the group of people surveyed is very different  from the Advitek exit poll conducted in October 2012.

The Ipsos results showed that more Torontonians are using Billy Bishop Airport for personal travel. It is important to note that the 700 people surveyed by Ipsos all live in Toronto. This study scientifically measures and tracks how Torontonians use and experience Billy Bishop Airport, but not residents of other cities nor does it provide insight into the higher frequency use patterns consistent with the business travel of Torontonians.  In light of recent media coverage, the TPA believed it was in the public interest to clarify this issue.

About the Toronto Port Authority (www.torontoport.com)

The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the Port of Toronto (Terminals 51 and 52), and Toronto's Outer Harbour Marina. In addition to moving more than two million passengers through the airport in 2012, the Port Authority provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port, and owns and operates Toronto's largest freshwater marina. The Toronto Port Authority was incorporated on June 8, 1999 as a government business enterprise under the Canada Marine Act as the successor to the Toronto Harbour Commissioners.

SOURCE: Toronto Port Authority

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