Porter Airlines returns to the skies after pandemic hiatus

Canada’s Porter Airlines has resumed flying after a nearly 18-month Covid-19 pandemic hiatus.  

The carrier, which is based out of Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto, resumed service on Sept. 8 to Montreal and the Ontario cities of Ottawa and Thunder Bay. Service to five other Canadian cities will resume in the next 10 days. 

Related: On the Record — Kevin Jackson, Porter Airlines

Porter will recommence U.S. service on Sept. 17, flying from Billy Bishop to Boston, Newark, Chicago Midway and Washington Dulles. Bookings made before Sept. 30 will be eligible to change or cancel with no fees. After that, flyers will need to pay $40 Canadian (about $32 U.S.) plus tax to book a flight with Porter’s Full Refund Option. 

Porter currently has a fleet of 29 Bombardier Q400 turboprop planes with 76 seats each. But in July, the carrier announced a major expansion to begin as it starts taking delivery of at least 30, and as many as 80, Embraer E195-E2 aircraft next summer. 

No new routes have been announced, but Porter said potential new U.S. destinations include Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando and Fort Myers, Fla.

Porter expects to originate the Embraer-operated U.S. routes from Montreal; Ottawa; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Toronto’s primary airport, Toronto Pearson.

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