The Canadian regional airline, Porter Airlines has provided an update regarding the resumption of commercial flight operations. Up until recently, Porter had planned to resume operations in July. However, the ongoing effects of the pandemic have forced the airline to push back its restart date, once more.
The carrier has officially stated that it will be “returning to the skies on September 8th,” following a period of almost 18 months where flights were suspending due to “due to COVID-19 public health and travel restrictions.” The Canadian carrier operates with a fleet of De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft added that it expects to resume operations “in phases”.
The first set will be national flights to destinations like Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Thunder Bay which will return from the 8th of September. The Canadian airline stated that it expects to add flights to New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington from the 17th of September.
The airline has had its entire fleet of turboprops grounded since the 21st of March 2020. The Chief Executive of Porter Airline added that having its entire fleet grounded for more than a year “has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved.”
In a statement seen by AeronewsX, CEO of Porter Airlines, Michael Deluce said “While deciding to suspend our service was the most difficult business decision we’ve made, announcing a restart of flights is the first step in a recovery process that includes recalling hundreds of team members and welcoming back passengers. We are looking forward to once again delivering Porter’s unique style of service.”
The company has also said that it is planning on reintroducing approximately 500 employees back into the airline during the first phase of commercial flight operations. The carrier stated that more employees will return to Porter Airlines “as flights and destinations return to the schedule.”
The airline just recently secured extra funding from the Canadian Government in an effort to assist the carrier’s operations during these turbulent times. According to the airline is has reached an agreement with the Government of Canada for a recovery loan of C$270.5 million. The agreement also includes C$20.5 million dollars which will be used for passenger refunds for flights cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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