Porter Airlines announces daily Winnipeg-Toronto route

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/06/2023 (812 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new airline is coming to Winnipeg — and it’s promising free wine.

Porter Airlines, an Ontario-based business, announced Tuesday it will fly passengers between Winnipeg and Toronto twice daily.

Flights will begin Sept. 7. Round trip fares start at $177, the company stated in a news release.

Porter is known for offering passengers free beer and wine in real glassware, free Wi-Fi and no middle seats.

“Winnipeg Airports Authority has been collaborating closely with Porter Airlines ever since they initially unveiled plans for their phased expansion,” Michel Rosset, communications manager for the WAA, wrote in a statement.

In 2022, Porter Airlines announced regular flights to major cities, including Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Halifax.

“We’re very excited about today’s announcement,” Rosset continued. “It will give travellers from our region more options and more convenience.”

Porter Airlines’ 132-seat plane — an Embraer E195-E2 — will take off from Winnipeg daily at 12:30 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. come September.

A plane will depart from Toronto Pearson International Airport at 10:05 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. ET daily, landing in Winnipeg at 11:41 a.m. and 5:26 p.m. CT, respectively.

Porter Airlines boasts PorterReserve, which includes fresh meals, the ability to change flights without a fee, extra legroom and two checked bags. Travellers can pick their perks, the company’s news release states.

The company did not immediately respond to questions regarding future expansion in Winnipeg.

Porter Airlines began by flying turboprop aircraft out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in 2006.

Economy seating grouped in twos rather than threes and alcohol served in glassware helped popularize the Canadian company, John Gradek, a lecturer in aviation management at McGill University, told the Free Press in December.

The addition of Porter comes a month after WestJet’s announcement of a direct flight between Winnipeg and Atlanta, the busiest airport hub in the world.

Winnipeg Richardson International Airport continues to see increased traffic levels. Between January and March, the airport tracked 909,578 passengers — a 112 per cent increase from the previous year, and 80 per cent of pre-pandemic statistics.

Porter Airlines has flights from and to Winnipeg for booking on its website, flyporter.com.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com