Key Takeaways
- Porter Airlines launches daily non-stop flights between Toronto-Pearson and Québec City.
- New Embraer E195-E2 jets with no middle seats and free WiFi enhance travel experience.
- Expanded service doubles capacity and offers connections to Vancouver and Edmonton.
Porter Airlines inaugurated daily non-stop flights between Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and Québec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport on Saturday, in a seasonal expansion of service.
The new route will operate until October 26 and is Porter’s first service from Pearson, complementing existing flights between Québec City and Toronto’s downtown Billy Bishop Airport. It more than doubles the airline’s capacity between the two cities.
Flights will use Porter’s newly-acquired Embraer E195-E2 jets, featuring a 132-seat two-by-two configuration with no middle seats. You can take a look at this configuration on aeroLOPA. The E195s offer free WiFi and enhanced amenities including free beer, wine and premium snacks.
The Toronto-based airline is promoting two fare options on the Québec route. PorterReserve is an all-inclusive economy experience with perks like fresh meals, extra legroom, premium cocktails, priority check-in and more flexible ticketing. PorterClassic is the standard economy fare with a la carte add-ons available.
Through its connection hub at Pearson, Porter is offering one-stop service to Québec City from Vancouver and Edmonton. This expands the airline’s reach into Eastern Canada after its previous network was limited to eastern cities from Billy Bishop Airport.
In announcing the new flights, Porter president Kevin Jackson cited Québec City’s popularity with travellers and the opportunity for more passengers to experience Porter’s elevated service levels across Canada.
Québec City airport CEO Stéphane Poirier welcomed the increased service to the Toronto region, which he said would appeal to local residents and facilitate connections to the west.
Greater Toronto Airports Authority executive Kurush Minocher said adding Québec City demonstrates Porter’s commitment to growing its presence at Pearson.
Porter is looking to raise its profile as it competes against Air Canada and other carriers. The Québec route is the type of regional business route where the airline hopes to attract premium corporate travellers with its economy premium service concept.
