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Porter Airlines purchases Bombardier aircraft

Porter Airlines, which started flying the Thunder Bay-Toronto route this summer, is acquiring two Bombardier Aerospace Q400 aircraft. They are scheduled to arrive in spring 2010. Porter’s initial Q400 order is valued at over US$500 million.
Northern Ontario Business Staff


Porter Airlines, which started flying the Thunder Bay-Toronto route this summer, is acquiring two Bombardier Aerospace Q400 aircraft.

They are scheduled to arrive in spring 2010. Porter’s initial Q400 order is valued at over US$500 million. A total of 12 aircraft are delivered and currently in service.

The North has been on Porter's radar for some time since Robert Deluce, a former Northern Ontario bush pilot-turned-aviation executive, launched the airline in October 2005. Since 2006, the company has talked about plans to establish direct service from Toronto to Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, and Timmins, once the northeast U.S. routes were firmly established and his fleet expanded. Porter added Thunder Bay to its list of destinations on June 29.

Porter Airlines currently serves Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, Thunder Bay, New York and Chicago. Service to Boston begins Sept. 14.

The company plans to fly to at least 17 short-haul Canadian and U.S. destinations.