Porter Airlines Halifax-St John’s flights from October 5, 2009; to fly to Boston from September 14, 2009

The Canada-based regional airline Porter Airlines will launch four daily, non-stop, year-round, roundtrip flights between Halifax (in Nova Scotia) and St John’s (in Newfoundland) from October 5, 2009, with continuing service to Toronto and Ottawa. The airline also says it will start flights to Boston in the United States from September 14, 2009, and is planning to fly to 17 short-haul destinations in Canada and the United States.

St John’s is the second destination of Porter Airlines in the region after the carrier began flying to Halifax in 2007.

A statement from Porter Airlines said that the new destinations are a part of the carrier’s ambitious expansion plans for the Atlantic Canada region and that the four
new direct flights between St John’s and Ottawa will offer “the most convenient schedule available on the St John’s-Ottawa route.”

Porter Airlines, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will use the 70-seat, Bombardier Q400 aircraft on the new route.

On-board complimentary items on the new service include wine and beer served in glassware as well as premium snacks on all flights, according to Porter Airlines.

Flights are currently available for booking on Porter Airlines’ website www.flyporter.com or by calling 1-888-619-8622 or by contacting a travel agent, the statement added.

Porter Airlines said that it has been approached by several airports in New Brunswick – described as the gateway to Atlantic Canada – with the hope of getting the airline to fly to many cities in New Brunswick. However, Porter Airlines added that there are currently no plans to operate services to New Brunswick.

Porter Airlines, which started operations in Toronto in 2006 and based at Toronto City Centre Airport, at first offered service from Toronto to Ottawa. It has since expanded the service to 9 destinations in Canada and the United States.

At present, Porter Airlines flies to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, Thunder Bay and Quebec City in Canada, as well as to Newark International Airport, New York, and Chicago Midway international Airport, Chicago, in the United States.

The carrier also has seasonal flights to Mt Tremblant in Quebec, Canada.

Porter Airlines says in the statement that the fleet of Bombardier Q400 planes that it uses has set “new standards for comfort as well as fuel efficiency” by using 30% to 40% less fuel than comparable narrow-body jet aircraft.

The Bombardier Q400 plane, Porter claims, has high cruising speed, highly advanced cabin noise-reduction technology, as well as environment-friendly engines.