When Porter Airlines returns to the skies in September, only one Northern Ontario destination is in the first group of flight schedules.
Porter announced today that flights are resuming to select destinations on Sept. 8, which will be nearly 18 months after flights were suspended because of COVID-19.
Canadian destinations included in the initial group are Thunder Bay, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, Quebec City, and St. John's. Sept. 17, the company is resuming flights to the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington.
Flights to other year-round destinations, including Timmins, are set to resume Oct. 6. The service will be based on passenger demand.
"This is the moment our team members, passengers and the communities we serve have been waiting for," said president and CEO Michael Deluce.
"The pandemic has progressed to the point that we can now begin restoring service... Being grounded for more than a year has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved."
To provide flexibility, Porter is making all fares purchased by July 20, for travel through Dec. 15, 2021, fully refundable with no fees.
Approximately 500 Porter Airlines staff will be recalled to active status with the first phase of flights, followed in stages by additional recalls as more flights are returned to the schedule.
