Porter Airlines will launch its first flights to international destinations beyond the U.S. this winter, with 13 new routes to points in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America from Toronto Pearson, Ottawa and Hamilton.
The airline is introducing service to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico; Nassau in the Bahamas; Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands; and Liberia in Costa Rica. The flights begin in November and December, with frequencies ranging from once a week to daily depending on the route.
“These are Porter’s first routes outside of our longtime presence throughout Canada and the U.S., and we’re starting off in a big way by introducing five distinctly different destinations,” Porter President Kevin Jackson says.
Porter has previously offered sun flights to the U.S., but this marks its first move into longer-haul international leisure markets. The Ottawa–Liberia route, at nearly 2,500 mi. (2,172 nm), pushes the limits of the Embraer 195-E2, which has a maximum range of about 2,990 mi. (2,600 nm).
Currently, Porter’s longest route is Montreal–Vancouver at 2,287 mi. (1,987 nm)—although the now-suspended Montreal–San Francisco service, last operated in summer 2024, stretched to 2,532 mi. (2,200 nm).
The network expansion will see Porter stepping into a crowded leisure market as carriers compete for sun-seeking Canadian travelers. According to analysis of data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, 10 of Porter’s 13 new routes will face direct competition this winter, including Toronto–Cancun, where four other airlines are scheduled to operate during the season.
However, Porter will be the sole operator of nonstop flights from Ottawa to Grand Cayman and Liberia, as well as from Hamilton to Puerto Vallarta and Nassau. The airline says the new routes also complement Air Transat’s network through their joint venture, offering travelers expanded options and better connectivity.
The network growth comes as Porter contends with softening demand in the Canada–U.S. transborder market following increased tensions between the North American neighbors. The airline has scaled back some U.S. routes, including suspending service between Toronto and San Diego in June and cancelling the planned seasonal return of Montreal–Las Vegas in January 2026. However, it has bolstered its presence on the U.S. East Coast, adding three daily flights between Toronto and New York-LaGuardia in May and this month launched a seasonal Montreal–Newark service through early September.
Overall, Porter’s U.S. capacity is up 15% year-over-year this summer, in contrast to reductions by other Canadian carriers: Air Canada is down 7%, Air Transat 32%, Flair Airlines 17% and WestJet 4%. Despite this, Porter has shifted more focus back to the domestic market, which now represents about 80% of its network—up from a previously planned 75%—as some Canadian travelers opt out of cross-border trips.
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