- Porter Airlines to initiate seven new daily routes to five different cities in Florida, starting in November and December.
- The airline promotes itself as the only carrier with no middle seats and unparalleled onboard service in North America.
- Future expansion plans include more warm-weather U.S. cities, the Caribbean, and Mexico, leveraging the airline's growing fleet of E195-E2 planes.
Porter's E195-E2 Fleet to Offer Daily Flights to Florida Cities
TORONTO — Canada's budget carrier Porter Airlines is progressing to the next stage of its continental reach, announcing new routes to the United States via its recently acquired Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. The airline revealed on August 24 that it will introduce seven daily flights to five cities in Florida beginning later this year.
Based at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the airline also operates 78-seat De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprops in addition to its newer Embraer fleet. Currently, Porter has 16 E195-E2s in service and plans to receive up to 30 of the aircraft by year's end.
Starting in November, most of the new routes will take off, linking Toronto Pearson International Airport with Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa. An additional route, between Toronto and Miami, will commence on December 12. Ottawa International Airport will also offer flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Porter emphasizes its unique approach to air travel, describing itself as the only North American airline to offer an all-economy service without middle seats. Each E195-E2 features a two-by-two seat configuration and can accommodate up to 132 passengers. “Canadians are accustomed to flying to Florida, but not like this,” said Kevin Jackson, the airline's Chief Commercial Officer.
Porter's CEO, Michael Deluce, disclosed to the British aviation news portal and analytics firm FlightGlobal that the company is also eyeing new markets in warm-weather U.S. locations, the Caribbean, and Mexico. These are particularly suited for the E195-E2s, which Deluce describes as "the right size aircraft" for exploring thinner markets that larger aircraft like Boeing 737s can't serve daily.
As Canada's largest contributor to Florida's international tourism, Canadians can now opt for a flight experience that Porter claims is unlike any other, focusing on "style, care, and charm," according to the airline.
After initially receiving two E195-E2s in December 2022, Porter has already expanded its Canadian operations, now offering transcontinental routes to cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria.
