Porter Airlines inaugurated yesterday, Thursday (2), its non-stop flights between Toronto-Pearson and Tampa International Airport. This is the first service to the United States operated by Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, of which Porter is the launch customer in North America with 22 aircraft in service (and another 28 pending delivery plus 50 options).
Flight PD 527 departed from Lester B. Pearson International Airport at 16:51 local time and arrived at Tampa International Airport at 19:31, after two hours and 40 minutes.
Toronto is one of Tampa’s main international markets, with the airline competing in this segment with Air Canada, WestJet, and Lynx Air. Porter Airlines will be offering a capacity of 1,848 weekly seats to and from Tampa.
“Tampa International Airport is proud to be the first U.S. airport to welcome Porter Airlines, which is launching a new non-stop service to and from Toronto. The elevated economy experience offered by Porter will undoubtedly be a success among our Canadian travelers, who love to visit Tampa Bay and enjoy everything the region has to offer,” said Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport.
Flight Schedule between Toronto and Tampa
- Toronto – Tampa Flight PD 527 YYZ 16:30 – TPA 19:32 daily flights.
- Toronto – Tampa Flight PD 522 TPA 09:05 – YYZ 12:00 daily flights.
Tampa is the first of five destinations and seven routes that Porter will begin in Florida during the winter season. The schedule includes services from Toronto to Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami; as well as flights from Ottawa to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. In total, the company will offer 12,936 weekly seats between Canada and Florida.
Porter’s expansion in the United States is focused on the main holiday and VFR (visiting friends and/or relatives) markets for Canadian travelers. In addition to the new services to Florida, the airline will fly to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.
“Canadians represent the largest group of international travelers to Florida, and now they can choose to fly with the only airline that emphasizes style, service, and charm in every aspect of the flight experience. With Porter, your vacation starts as soon as you step on the plane,” said Kevin Jackson, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Porter Airlines.
Porter’s Embraer E195-E2 aircraft have a capacity of 132 seats in a single economy class configuration and offer free Wi-Fi to all passengers.
See also: Porter Airlines launches non-stop flights to Las Vegas
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