Canada’s Porter Airlines will add Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to its network with flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), betting on U.S. expansion even amid weak transborder demand.
The YYZ-AUS route will launch on May 21 and be operated 5X-weekly year-round with an Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. Porter additionally revealed it will increase De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 flights between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) and Chicago.
Porter will compete with Air Canada on the YYZ-AUS route. Air Canada, currently the only airline flying between Toronto and the Texas capital, will offer 2,702 two-way weekly seats between YYZ and AUS in May when Porter starts its service, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.
Porter has been offering turboprop service between YTZ and Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) since 2008. The carrier will shift the route to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and bump up frequencies from 1X-daily currently to 3X-daily from Sept. 1. The airline said the move to ORD will allow for more flights to Chicago and increased connectivity opportunities for passengers.
Porter noted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facility—in place at many Canadian airports—will soon open at Billy Bishop.
“Global connections out of Chicago are vital for Torontonians and the region, supporting both business and leisure travel,” said RJ Steenstra, president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority, which manages Billy Bishop. “With U.S. pre-clearance set to launch at [YTZ], airlines will be able to serve destinations that were previously out of reach, creating new opportunities for growth.”
The announcement of added U.S. service comes on the heels of the carrier launching daily flights between Vancouver and Phoenix on Feb. 2. The Toronto-based airline is growing its transborder network at a time when Canadian carriers are pushing capacity into Latin America and the Caribbean as Canadians continue to show reluctance to travel to the U.S.
Porter also said it will open a new seasonal domestic route between Ottawa and Deer Lake from June 10, flying the route 5X-weekly with an E195-E2.
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