Mayor Rob Ford’s push for a conditional approval of Porter Airlines jet expansion plan failed to gain liftoff, with the executive committee voting instead to slow down the process.

“There is no reason to paralyze these hard-working people for one year with red tape and more red tape,” said Ford, as he pointed to Porter CEO Robert Deluce. “They want their jets, and they want their extension now, and there is no reason why we can’t do it.”

In a campaign-style speech, Ford compared his proposal to the push to contract out garbage or kill the vehicle registration fee, when people argued it simply couldn’t be done.

But the executive committee heeded the advice of city staff, voting 8-4, against the mayor’s motion. City staff warned that the city doesn’t have enough information to recommend lifting the jet ban and extending the runway by as much as 200 metres at each end.

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The executive committee added the stipulation that negotiations should include the demand that jet-powered aircraft make up no more than 25 per cent of daily flights.

If city council follows the executive committee’s lead, which was 11 to 1 in favour of staff recommendations, it means the city could begin negotiations on an agreement that could eventually result in a decision on jets at the island airport, but not in this term of council.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, a big airport proponent, said the city staff report can lead to the introduction of jets. “There is a way forward, there is a path to a goal most of us want, and I do.”

Last April, Porter’s Deluce announced his plan to grow from a regional airline flying turboprops to new jets that would fly to destinations farther afield like Los Angeles and Vancouver and Miami.

Porter has placed a conditional order for 12 Bombardier CSeries jets, which are still in the flight testing stage, and not expected to enter service until the second half of 2015.

Deluce has pushed for a swift decision because Porter must begin to put down non-refundable deposits beginning in April.

Deluce said Porter was pleased to see the staff report go ahead, but said they will need to study the timelines and see how they can be accommodated. He wouldn't say whether Porter would be pushing for approval in principle at city council, but said the framework can lead to an approval.

"We will assess the timelines, and figure that out, and how we can make adjustments."

Jets are currently banned under a 1983 tripartite agreement between the city, federal government and Toronto Port Authority, the federal agency that runs the airport. The agreement can be amended, and the runway extended, if all three parties agree.

Without some assurances of some sort of approval, Deluce said Porter would be reluctant to risk its funds.

But city officials warned politicians that it would be a “very big mistake” if they granted a conditional approval.

“Quite emphatically, we do not have enough information,” deputy city manager John Livey said, urging councillors to put off a final decision until after the city hammers out some firm commitments and receives specific details from the Toronto Port Authority and Transport Canada, likely in early 2015.

“I think it would be a very big mistake of this council to make an approval in principle, and lose my leverage (in negotiations),” Livey said. “I think you, as members of council, would regret having made that decision.”

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But Ford doesn’t want to delay decision-making until after the election, especially because the makeup of council could change after October’s vote.

A film by 16 year olds Noah Stamp and Gideon Ruttimann-Hoskins.

During questioning, Ford suggested to Livey that approval could certainly be done conditionally for Porter’s expansion plan, which calls for the lifting of a jet ban and expanding the runway by as much as 200 metres at each end.

But Livey stood his ground, insisting: “I do not believe so. I think it would be a big mistake for the city of Toronto … I don’t see how you can do it.”

The executive committee, which began early in the morning and dragged late into the night, heard from more than a hundred people, both opponents and proponents of Porter’s airport expansion plan, who lined up to share their views.

For hours, speaker after speaker came to the council chambers to plead their case. Some were big names like former mayor David Crombie and Waterfront Toronto CEO John Campbell, who warned about scale, and urged councillors not to let the airport dominate the waterfront.

Crombie warned that granting an approval in principle, subject to Porter meeting a set of conditions laid down by council, would be “clearly putting the cart before the horse.”

But others spoke out about the economic advantages of the island airport, from tourism to economic spinoffs in the aerospace industry, and the business links that flights to far-flung destinations could bring to the city.

Porter pilot Mark Joseph urged councillors to “make a decision and don’t make it an election issue.”

But the jet debate has already emerged as one of the key issues in the Oct. 27 mayoral election. Olivia Chow, who is firmly opposed to jets, put out a cheeky blank page as a news release on Tuesday, purporting that to be John Tory’s airport position.

Tory’s campaign quickly fired back with a news release, saying he wants a deferral of the debate because there are too many unanswered questions.

Karen Stintz, who said a year ago, she was opposed to jets and the runway extension, has reversed her position, saying she would support it, if certain conditions are met. David Soknacki is conditionally supportive of jets at the island airport.

City council is scheduled to debate the issue next week, and councillors are clearly divided on the proposal, with some touting the economic benefits of airport expansion, while other oppose it.

Giorgio Mammoliti called it “a slam dunk,” given the economic spinoffs and Porter’s success. “A decision should be made with this council, before the end of this term,” he said.