Porter at 20: Ottawa Takes Centre Stage in Airline’s Expansion
by Michael Pihach
Porter marks 20 years since it first took off with flights between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Ottawa. (Porter)
Twenty years after launching its first flights between Toronto and Ottawa, Porter Airlines celebrated a milestone anniversary last week with ambitious growth plans that put Canada’s capital at the heart of its expanding network.
The airline marked its 20th anniversary at Ottawa International Airport (YOW) on Friday (Oct. 23), returning to one of the two cities where its journey began on October 23, 2006.
What started with just two turboprop aircraft has grown into an airline operating 85 planes across more than 130 routes throughout North America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
And Ottawa has become a cornerstone of that growth.
“We are now the largest airline in Ottawa by a significant margin,” Michael Deluce, CEO of Porter Airlines, told attendees at Friday’s celebration, CTV News Ottawa reported.
“We operate 31 different destinations this winter, and we have 15 destinations within our network that no other airline even serves, and so Ottawa really is a hometown for us.”
More Sun Destinations From Ottawa
Porter’s latest expansion will give Ottawa travellers even more options for winter getaways, with four new nonstop routes launching between November and December.
The additions include Aruba, Montego Bay in Jamaica, Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, and Los Cabos in Mexico.
It all reflects Porter’s transformation from a regional carrier at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) operating De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprops into a North American airline, supported by a new fleet of Embraer E195-E2 jets, which come with free Wi-Fi, no middle seats and complimentary wine and beer (served in glassware)
And there is more to come.
Deluce indicated that Porter plans to increase frequencies on existing Ottawa routes in 2027 while introducing additional destinations (although specific markets have not yet been announced).
Porter’s commitment to Ottawa also extends well beyond its flight schedule.
The airline now employs more than 500 people in the capital and, in 2024, opened a 150,000-square-foot aircraft maintenance facility at Ottawa airport.
The facility includes two hangars capable of supporting maintenance operations for both Porter’s turboprop and jet fleets.
Strong Demand Despite Industry Pressures
Porter’s anniversary comes as airlines navigate rising fuel costs and other operating pressures.
At an anniversary celebration in Toronto last Thursday (Oct. 22), Porter Airlines President Kevin Jackson told Travel Market Report Canada that rising jet fuel prices represent “the largest” challenge the airline has ever faced.
“As a business, it’s a challenge for sure. The industry is seeing fares rise, and we’re certainly not passing on all the costs, but it remains a challenge,” he said.
“If I look at the three biggest challenges Porter’s has had in its history: number one is COVID, tariffs are number two, [and] I’m now going to say fuel prices is the largest.”
Still, Deluce, in Ottawa, said passenger demand remains strong.
“Yes, there is a little bit of upward pressure on fares and across the industry as a whole but traffic remains very strong,” he told CTV News.
“And for Porter, our traffic is still growing at 30, 35 per cent this year. And so, we’re filling more seats on more capacity, and continuing to focus only on the customer, and making sure that every experience is the best we can deliver.”
From Billy Bishop to Canada’s third-largest airline
In a press release issued to coincide with the milestone, Porter highlighted the scale of its transformation from a regional carrier serving Eastern Canada and select U.S. destinations into a growing North American airline with transcontinental service and an expanding network of sun destinations.
Since launching, the airline says it has carried more than 49 million passengers and flown more than 784 million kilometres.
Much of that growth has occurred over the past three years. In 2023, Porter began expanding beyond its regional roots with the introduction of Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, allowing the airline to establish a transcontinental network.
The airline currently serves 33 destinations across 131 routes, reaching every Canadian province, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
While Billy Bishop remains an important part of Porter’s operations, the airline has expanded its presence at Toronto Pearson, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
Its network is further supported by airline partnerships, including a joint venture with Air Transat, which allows passengers to connect to destinations beyond Porter’s own routes.
Birthday giveaways & celebrations in the sky
To mark its 20th year, Porter has introduced a limited-edition merchandise collection, including miniature collectibles known as The Little Things Blind Boxes, a Cabin Crewneck created in collaboration with Kuwalla Tee, a Mr. Porter raccoon plush toy, an Embraer E195-E2 model aircraft and a commemorative baseball cap.
The collection is available exclusively through porter20.com while supplies last.
The airline is also celebrating with its nearly four million VIPorter loyalty members through a special giveaway running from now until November 3. Click here for more details.
Birthday festivities have also taken place for employees and passengers at airports across Porter’s network.
Among the highlights was a special flight between Montreal Metropolitan Airport (MET), where Porter launched in June, and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), where passengers were treated to a birthday celebration in the sky, complete with decorations, loot bags and cake.
