Porter Airlines
Canada · PORTER AIR · Active
Airline Identity
History
Porter Airlines was founded by Robert Deluce and launched its maiden flight on 23 October 2006, establishing regional turboprop service from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport after Deluce's company secured redevelopment rights to the island airport's terminal following a lengthy legal and political dispute over airport expansion. The airline built a reputation for a premium short-haul experience using De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprops before suspending all flights in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed flying on 8 September 2021 and subsequently launched a major expansion into jet service.
Current Operations
Porter now operates a dual fleet of Dash 8-400 turboprops from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Embraer E195-E2 jets from a growing hub at Toronto Pearson, with a secondary base at Ottawa, serving an expanding network across Canada, the United States and beyond. It has grown into Canada's third-largest airline behind Air Canada and WestJet, maintaining codeshare and joint-venture partnerships with carriers such as Air Transat and Alaska Airlines rather than membership in a global alliance.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.