Porter Airlines will be extending service for two of its routes to U.S. destinations that were launched in the fall.
The company confirmed in an email to OBJ that its route to Las Vegas and its route to Fort Lauderdale will soon be flying year-round.
“Currently, I can tell you that we’ve seen positive bookings on YOW-LAS and YOW-FLL, both have been extended to year-round service,” wrote Robyn van Teunenbroek, senior manager of communications for Porter.
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She added that the airline is still in the process of confirming the full details of its summer schedule.
The route between the Ottawa International Airport and the Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport launched in November as a winter seasonal route flying four times a week.
“Las Vegas has always been a popular destination, and now, with Porter Airlines’ year-round service on their perfectly sized E195-E2 jets, travellers can experience the excitement and entertainment of Vegas any time,” Joel Tkach, vice-president of business development and marketing for the Ottawa International Airport Authority, said in an email to OBJ.
When the route first launched, Tkach said that the expansion of Porter’s network from YOW was a “jackpot.”
“We’re betting that Ottawa-Gatineau travellers will be all-in on Las Vegas,” Tkach said in a news release. “More locations and options for flying refined is more good news for our community.”
The expansion of the route continues Porter’s efforts to expand its network with YOW as a hub for travel, bringing more direct flights to the airport.
Porter began offering direct routes from YOW to St. John’s, N.L., in June. The previous month, the carrier launched a non-stop route between Ottawa and Winnipeg.
Porter has been expanding its presence at the Ottawa airport in other ways, including the creation of a crew base at YOW for pilots and flight attendants who staff its new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The base serves about 150 crew members.
Porter also boosted capacity on eight routes from the nation’s capital to key destinations in Canada and the U.S. amid rising demand for air travel. Porter says it would operate 14 non-stop flights from Ottawa over the summer.
Porter’s future plans for YOW include building two new aircraft hangars totalling 150,000 square feet, a $65-million project that officially opened in May.
The facility will be the primary maintenance base for the Embraer E195-E2 fleet and support maintenance of the De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft. It’s also expected to employ hundreds of workers.
