Porter Gets CTA Green Light For Sint Maarten Flights
by Michael Pihach
(Porter Airlines)
Porter Airlines has received regulatory approval to operate scheduled flights between Canada and Sint Maarten.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has granted the airline a licence to operate scheduled international services under an aviation agreement between Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning Sint Maarten.
In its determination, posted Oct. 29, the CTA confirmed that Porter had satisfied all applicable licensing requirements under the Canada Transportation Act, as well as the terms and conditions of the bilateral arrangement signed on March 9, 2012.
The agency subsequently issued the licence, authorizing Porter to operate scheduled services on routes permitted under the agreement.
The approval does not necessarily mean Porter flights are imminent.
The airline has not announced specific routes or schedules for Sint Maarten. It already codeshares with Air Transat for the destination.
Here Comes The Sun
It comes as Porter continues to expand its presence in southern leisure markets.
The airline inaugurated Toronto Pearson–Aruba service on October 30, with additional flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Los Cabos, Mexico; and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, scheduled to begin in November. San José, Costa Rica, follows in December.
Porter expects to operate nearly 1,400 flights to southern destinations from Toronto Pearson this winter, representing an increase of more than 115 per cent compared with the previous year.
