Porter Airlines has marked its 20th anniversary at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, where the carrier began scheduled operations with a flight to Ottawa on 23 October 2006. The airline has since carried more than 49 million passengers and expanded from two aircraft to an 85-aircraft fleet comprising Embraer E195-E2 jets and De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprops.
The anniversary event in Toronto featured remarks from Executive Chairman Robert Deluce, President and CEO RJ Steenstra and Toronto Port Authority CEO Jennifer Quinn, followed by a ceremonial cake cutting. Porter began with approximately 100 employees and now has more than 4,400, making it Canada’s third-largest airline.
The carrier currently operates 131 routes to 33 destinations across Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Its fleet consists of 56 E195-E2s and 29 Dash 8-400s, reflecting the expansion of its network beyond its original regional focus after the introduction of transcontinental jet services.
Celebrations have included a special flight from Montréal Metropolitan Airport to Vancouver International Airport, with onboard decorations, gift bags and cake. Limited-edition merchandise is also available, while the VIPorter loyalty programme is awarding 20,000 points to one eligible member each day for 20 days between 15 October and 3 November.