Porter Airlines starts a new daily round trip service between Toronto and Victoria on Sept. 20 using its new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.
The arrival of Porter is part of the Toronto-based company’s plan to expand across the country announced last year. It has now added Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg in Western Canada.
Service will run between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Victoria International Airport using the Embraer aircraft. Passengers will be able to connect with Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and St. John’s, N.L.
Flights will leave Toronto at 10:55 a.m. ET and arrive in Victoria at 1:04 p.m. PT. Eastbound flights are scheduled to depart Victoria at 2 p.m. PT, arriving in Toronto at 9:31 p.m. ET.
“Victoria is a great addition to our network and provides easy access to Vancouver Island,” Kevin Jackson, Porter’s executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, said in a statement.
The Embraer aircraft has the lowest fuel consumption per seat and per trip among its class and is the quietest single-aisle jet flying these days, the company said. It has four seats per row (two on either side of the aisle) and offers Wi-Fi.
The Victoria International Airport is always looking to attract more airlines.
“We are truly pleased to see Porter add new Victoria-Toronto service,” said Geoff Dickson, president and chief executive of the Victoria airport.
“The new E195-E2 aircraft and Porter’s exceptional service offering is a welcome addition to the Victoria market. We appreciate the new service and look forward to working with them to ensure the route’s success.”
At Destination Greater Victoria, chief executive Paul Nursey said the new service will be welcomed by travellers coming to Victoria for conferences, business and business-leisure reasons.
Destination Greater Victoria has earmarked funds to support airline route recovery, Nursey said, adding that support from organizations like Destination Greater Victoria “is vital … in the post-pandemic world.”
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