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Porter CEO receives honorary doctorate

When he graduated from McGill University in 1971, Robert Deluce had intentions of using his bachelor of science degree to become a medical doctor. But on June 6, more than four decades later, he became a doctor of a different kind.
Deluce Doctorate
Robert Deluce, founder, president and CEO of Porter Airlines, addressed graduates at Laurentian University’s June 6 convocation, during which he urged students to be prepared for any venture they take on in life. Deluce received an honorary doctorate from the Sudbury university for his contributions to business and the northern travel landscape.

When he graduated from McGill University in 1971, Robert Deluce had intentions of using his bachelor of science degree to become a medical doctor. But on June 6, more than four decades later, he became a doctor of a different kind.

Deluce, the founder, president and CEO of Porter Airlines, was one of four people granted an honorary doctorate by Laurentian University at its spring convocation ceremonies in Sudbury.

In six years, Deluce has grown Porter Airlines from two airplanes, 20 employees and service between Ottawa and Toronto to 1,400 employees, 26 planes and 19 destinations, including Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Sudbury.

Based out of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the company is now the third largest scheduled air carrier in the country, and has flown more than six million passengers to destinations in Canada and the U.S. since 2006.

“(Deluce) exemplifies the Northern Ontario can-do spirit, and his entrepreneurial drive and vision have changed the landscape for all who travel,” Laurentian president Dominic Giroux said in a news release.

Deluce’s love affair with aviation began at a young age while growing up in Chapleau and White River, and was inherited from his father, Stan Deluce, who founded White River Air Services, which morphed into Air Ontario before being sold to Air Canada.

After earning his wings in high school, Deluce kept flying while attending McGill, and, right up until his last year, he was sure he’d go into medicine.

But after graduation, he decided to spend a few years flying and was immediately hooked.

“Once it gets in your blood it’s sort of tough to stop,” Deluce said.

It’s been satisfying for the CEO to watch Porter’s steady expansion. From 2007 to late 2010, the company’s compound annual growth rate was close to 80 per cent; that during a time of economic uncertainty when other airlines were decreasing service.

In particular, it’s been gratifying to bring service to Northern Ontario where, Deluce said, people now have a wider choice of airline, fares are more competi-tive, there are better connections beyond Toronto, there’s more availability, and travellers can land in downtown Toronto, closer to many of the amenities they want to access.

“It’s all based on speed, convenience and service and I think definitely the downtown is an advantage,” Deluce said, ruminating on Porter’s success. “But I think more and more it’s the throwback to earlier times when flying was more fun; it’s the elevated level of service. I think that’s what’s differentiating us from the other carriers.”

“We’re really in the customer service business,” Deluce added. “We just happen to operate aircraft as a means of providing that service.”

Porter currently has options on four more airlines, and Deluce hasn’t ruled out the idea of offering direct service between northern cities at some point.

New destinations are on the horizon, too.

The company recently added Washington, DC to its roster, and Deluce named North Bay and London as future possibilities.

Speaking to Laurentian graduates, Deluce’s key piece of advice was to do their homework in whatever venture they take on.

“Being prepared for any eventuality is important,” he said. “Stepping up to the plate, taking responsibility, being really customer service-focused—all of those things are, I think, part and parcel of what has defined Porter and distinguished us from our closest competitors.”

Deluce never attended his 1971 graduation ceremony; duty called and he was instead flying for the family’s hunting and fishing charter airline service on the day of his convocation.

That he was able to not only finally cross the stage to receive a degree, but also receive the honour from a Northern Ontario university, added to the poignancy of the day.

“Originally, I thought that would have been something more appropriately bestowed on my father, Stan, who was a real aviation pioneer,” Deluce said of the doctorate.

“But on the other hand, we have been quite gratifyingly successful with developing Porter, and I think some of the earlier lessons learned when we were operating White River Air Services and Austin Airways, and even Air Ontario, now are being manifested in Porter in a more refined way.”

Deluce said that receiving the degree from Laurentian makes him feel even more closely connected to Sudbury, and he anticipated he would return to the city on a regular basis more often than ever before.