Porter plane spreads its wings in city Airline to begin flying Winnipeg-Toronto route Sept. 7 By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 4:21 PM CDT Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

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This article was published 31/08/2023 (1128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pop the cork — Porter Airlines has landed in Winnipeg.

Brad Cicero walked down a jet’s aisle Thursday, passing rows of empty seats. On Sept. 7, the plane — or a similar one — will take off with its first round of passengers commuting between Winnipeg and Toronto.

“The network is evolving rapidly,” said Cicero, Porter’s communications director. “This is, really, a North American expansion plan.”

Customers have asked the Toronto-based airliner for a route to Winnipeg for years. The company has since ordered 50 planes, to be delivered by the end of 2024, as it branches out. It’s “now in a position to make (Winnipeg) happen,” Cicero said.

The Porter plane was void of middle seats.

Each seatback contained a menu highlighting Jackson-Triggs wine and various beers.

The drinks are free, offered in glassware — and they’re likely part of the reason for Porter’s growth, Cicero stated.

“It is a very thoughtful experience,” he said. “It’s not low cost, and it’s not super premium… It’s not something that any other airline in North America has.”

They have a no-microwave policy: the croissant sandwiches, grilled salmon bowls and other menu items are fresh, Cicero said.

Food and drink will circulate twice daily on the route to Toronto. Planes will leave Winnipeg at 12:30 and 6:20 p.m.

“It’s not low cost, and it’s not super premium… It’s not something that any other airline in North America has.”–Brad Cicero

Roundtrip fares start at $177.

Manitobans will land at Toronto Pearson Airport, not Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, where Porter began.

“These (new) planes have to operate at different airports,” Cicero said, adding they’re too big.

When Porter Airlines started in 2006, it flew turboprop aircraft out of Billy Bishop. The fleet of 50 it recently ordered from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer are E195-E2 planes.

Its purchase of 20 such planes in July 2022 had a list price value of US$1.56 billion, The Canadian Press reported.

Porter has 16 of the planes; two more will arrive each month, Cicero said. The company’s goal is to operate 100 planes, possibly in the next five years, he added.

Flights from Toronto to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton have begun; after Winnipeg, at the end of September, a route to Victoria will come online.

The new aircraft will reach Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, St. John’s and New York City. Mexico, the Caribbean and the United States’ west coast could be future connections.

Purchases of Porter’s first Winnipeg-Toronto route tickets have been “OK” — it takes time to build ridership, Cicero said.

Increasing the number of Porter flights to Winnipeg is a possibility, he added. Each plane holds 132 seats (and free WiFi).

Michel Rosset, communications manager for the Winnipeg Airports Authority, toured the Porter jet Thursday.

“We’ve been in conversation with Porter ever since they announced their plans to expand across Canada (in 2021),” he said. “It takes some time.”

Traffic through the airport has climbed since pandemic-era travel restrictions ended. The airport saw more than one million travellers last April through June, bringing it to 93.3 per cent of 2019 levels.

“We’re coming off of one of our busiest summers in a long time,” Rosset said. “We know the demand for travel is strong, is back.”

Pre-pandemic, Porter Airlines’ main focus was its business customers. Since COVID-19’s arrival, it’s turned to leisure crowds.

“This is… the current world that we live in,” Cicero said. “There’s still business traffic, it’s just not quite back to where it was before.”

No curtain separates the business and economy class. Economy can order almost anything the front seats have, they just pay à la carte, Cicero added.

“I mean, we live in Winnipeg, we’re always going to be price conscious,” said Allison Cooney, a frequent flyer to Toronto.

She sat in Winnipeg’s airport Thursday. The more choices for customers, the better, she stated.

Cicero didn’t express concern about competition. Last year, Lynx Air opened in Winnipeg. WestJet and Flair have recently announced more routes in the city.

“There’s always competition,” Cicero said. “We have a very unique product.”

“There’s always competition… We have a very unique product.”–Brad Cicero

The new flights are “good for the Manitoba economy,” said Tammy Sawatzky, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce’s communications director.

Porter Airlines will provide jobs, assist tourism and boost business travel, she added.

The brand has doubled its staff since pre-pandemic — from 1,500 to roughly 3,000 — and expects to hire another 2,000 by the end of 2024.

WestJet’s direct flight from Winnipeg to Atlanta will launch on Sept. 6, a day before Porter’s daily Winnipeg flight begins.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com