Porter Airlines Resumes Sept 8 (ON) and Sept 17 (US)
July 5, 2021 Marsha Mowers
Porter Airlines is officially returning to the skies on Sept. 8, nearly 18 months after suspending flights due to COVID-19 public health and travel restrictions.
The flight schedule is returning in phases, with the initial group of Canadian destinations being Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, St. John’s, NL, Thunder Bay and Toronto. U.S. destinations in Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington follow on Sept. 17.
“This is the moment our team members, passengers and the communities we serve have been waiting for,” said Michael Deluce, president and CEO, Porter Airlines. “The pandemic has progressed to the point that we can now begin restoring service across our network, focused around our main base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Being grounded for more than a year has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved. In true Porter fashion, our team members have displayed remarkable levels of commitment, engagement and optimism over this uncertain period of time, despite the vast majority being unable to work. While deciding to suspend our service was the most difficult business decision we’ve made, announcing a restart of flights is the first step in a recovery process that includes recalling hundreds of team members and welcoming back passengers. We are looking forward to once again delivering Porter’s unique style of service.”
Approximately 500 team members will be recalled to active status as the first phase of flights are introduced. More staff will be added in subsequent months as flights and destinations return to the schedule.
The initial flight schedule is as follows:
| Canadian Routes* | Peak daily roundtrips | Service start date |
| Ottawa – Toronto | 6 flights | Sept. 8 |
| Montreal – Toronto | 6 flights | Sept. 8 |
| Thunder Bay – Toronto | 3 flights | Sept. 8 |
| Ottawa – Halifax | 2 flights | Sept. 13 |
| Montreal – Halifax | 1 flight | Sept. 13 |
| Quebec City – Toronto | 1 flight | Sept. 13 |
| Halifax – St. John’s | 1 flight | Sept. 17 |
| Moncton – Ottawa | 1 flight | Sept. 17 |
| U.S. Routes* | ||
| New York (Newark) – Toronto | 6 fights | Sept. 17 |
| Boston – Toronto | 3 flights | Sept. 17 |
| Chicago (Midway) – Toronto | 2 flights | Sept. 17 |
| Washington (Dulles) – Toronto | 1 flight | Sept. 17 |
* All Toronto routes operate at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Schedules vary by day of week.
About the Author
Marsha Mowers made the move to editorial side of travel after many years working in destination marketing where she represented places such as NYC and Las Vegas. Her experience on “both sides” of the industry has put her in a unique position to provide valuable context to both readers and trade partners. Marsha also serves as Director of Content for TravelPulse Canada
