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“He’s very aware of that letter and takes it very seriously, but it’s not something that he committed to as minister of transportation yet,” Jean Proulx said in an interview.

“He’s deliberating, he’s consulting with officials, he’s getting facts and when he’s done that he’ll have something to announce.”

One factor that could help Porter make its case is its order for 12 CSeries aircraft with options for 18 more, a deal that would be worth more than US$2 billion at list prices if all options are exercised.

The order is conditional on Porter receiving approval to fly the jets out of Billy Bishop.

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Bombardier has been struggling to boost sales of the aircraft, which hasn’t seen a new firm order since September 2014, and received a US$1-billion lifeline from the Quebec government last month to bolster its weak balance sheet.

Quebec Economy Minister Jacques Daoust has said he plans to ask Ottawa to match the province’s contribution, which could put pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help the struggling company any way he can.

“Our part in terms of helping that process will be to move from a conditional order to a firm order, and we can do that once we have the necessary approvals in place, and that will probably go further towards strengthening a company like Bombardier than any other single event,” Deluce said.

Even if Porter’s expansion plans aren’t approved, the company “will remain viable, with or without jets,” he added.

The airline has examined the possibility of operating out of other hubs besides Billy Bishop, including airports in Western Canada, but is mainly focused on getting Toronto city council the information it needs to make an educated decision on the CSeries plan, Deluce said.

“Our objective is to make sure that council makes their decision based on facts rather than on fear or on false accusations.”