The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Porter celebrates 20 years as Ottawa becomes key part of carrier’s expansion
Porter Airlines is marking 20 years in the skies, having grown from two turboprop aircrafts flying between Ottawa and Toronto to a fleet of 85 planes serving more than 130 routes across North America and the Caribbean.
Porter Airlines marked its 20th anniversary with a celebration at Ottawa International Airport, the site of its first flights on October 23, 2006. The event highlighted the carrier’s growth from two turboprops on the Ottawa–Toronto route to a fleet of 85 aircraft serving more than 130 destinations across North America and the Caribbean.
Ottawa has become a central hub in Porter’s expansion, with Deluce noting that the airline is now the largest in the city by a wide margin. The carrier operates 31 destinations this winter and serves 15 destinations within its network that no other airline serves from Ottawa.
The carrier’s fleet expansion includes Embraer E195-E2 jets in addition to De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprops, and Porter opened a 150,000-square-foot aircraft maintenance facility at Ottawa airport in 2024 to support both turboprop and jet fleets. Ottawa-based staff exceed 500 employees.
From Ottawa, Porter is adding four new nonstop destinations for the upcoming winter season: Aruba, Montego Bay (Jamaica), Providenciales (Turks and Caicos), and Los Cabos (Mexico). Flights to these destinations are scheduled to begin between November and December.
Industry context around the celebration notes ongoing pressures such as rising fuel costs, yet Porter reports strong demand and continued traffic growth around 30-35% this year. Deluce emphasized a focus on customer experience as the airline expands routes and frequencies, with further market introductions anticipated in 2027.