Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines was founded in 2006 by Robert Deluce, a member of a Canadian aviation family with deep roots in regional air transport. The airline launched commercial service on October 24, 2006 from its home base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport using Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft. Porter's launch was met with skepticism by industry observers who questioned whether a new turboprop carrier could compete with Air Canada and WestJet for the business travel market. Porter proved the skeptics wrong by focusing on the underserved downtown Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal corridors and delivering a premium experience at competitive fares.

The airline expanded to additional eastern Canadian and northeastern US destinations through the late 2000s and 2010s, consistently earning top marks in passenger satisfaction surveys. Porter's growth was constrained by a long-running debate about whether to extend the runway at Billy Bishop Airport to accommodate jet aircraft — a proposal that was ultimately rejected following community opposition. The airline placed a landmark order for 30 Airbus A220-300 aircraft in 2022, representing a transformative investment that would triple the airline's capacity and open entirely new markets. Porter received its first A220 in November 2022 and began jet service in early 2023, launching routes to Florida, western Canada, and the Caribbean that are far beyond the range of its turboprop predecessors.