St. John’s lands new airline Porter begins service in October BY DAVE BARTLETT The Telegram

— Telegram photo illustration/Porter photo courtesy of Porter Airlines

People will soon have a new option when flying in and out of St. John’s.
Toronto-based Porter Airlines will expand its service to include the capital city beginning Oct. 5 and will offer four daily round-trip flights to Halifax and on to Ottawa. Three of those flights will continue to Toronto.
The president and CEO of Porter said when people fly with the airline they’ll see a difference in service.
“We pride ourselves on offering an elevated level of service. It’s a bit of a throwback to earlier times when travel was fun,” Robert Deluce told The Telegram last week.
For example, Porter’s passengers get complimentary snacks, beer and wine when flying, something most domestic airlines haven’t offered in years.
Marie Manning is the director of marketing and community relations with the St. John’s International Airport Authority.
She said the new airline will give travellers greater choice and greater frequency when flying.
In total, it will increase the number of seats to Halifax and Toronto by about 30 per cent, Manning said.
And landing and terminal fees will mean approximately $700,000 a year for the airport authority.
“Porter Airlines has built a reputation for providing a high-level service and convenience at a competitive price,” Manning said. “You talk to people who have flown with them and they just absolutely love the service.”
Deluce said St. John’s has been part of Porter’s business plan for some time.
The regional carrier started flying to Halifax seasonally two years ago, but recently made those flights year-round. Adding St. John’s is an extension of that service, said Deluce.
He acknowledges that the airline is expanding during an economic downturn when many other airlines are trimming routes from their schedules.
But he’s confident people in this province will be impressed with Porter, and Manning agrees.
“I think the growth of the airline itself is a testament to how well they’ve done (with customer service),” she said.
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In Toronto, Porter lands at Toronto City Centre Airport on Toronto Island, close to downtown, as opposed to Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, which is 30 kilometres northwest of Toronto, where most major airlines land.
“We’re only two to three kilometres from a lot of major businesses, leisure and other destinations right in the downtown core (of Toronto),” Deluce said.
He said he’s proud of the fact that Porter uses the Canadian made Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft.
“It is very quiet (and) it’s fuel-efficient,” he said, noting that the planes have low emissions and burn 30 to 40 per cent less fuel than the regional jets they typically compete with.

dbartlett@thetelegram.com