Canadian boutique airline Porter doubles down on California with new routes to Montreal

Fast-growing Porter Airlines is expanding its footprint on the U.S. West Coast.

Last week, the Toronto-based carrier announced it would add new nonstop flights from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in Canada to California's two largest cities.

Starting in late June, Porter will offer seasonal service between Montreal and both Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

The announcement comes less than two months after the carrier first commenced service to both West Coast cities from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ).

It's also part of a larger growth strategy that has seen the airline dramatically increase its U.S. presence of late.

"These Montreal routes connect to destinations across the globe with Porter's strategic partners, providing more options that travelers crave," Porter president Kevin Jackson said in a statement announcing the news.

Porter's new routes

Porter's two new routes from Montreal to the U.S. West Coast will be seasonal, launching this summer and wrapping up Oct. 26.

Here's how the schedule shakes out:

Porter will operate each of these routes with its brand-new Embraer E195-E2 jets, which seat 132 passengers in a 2-2 configuration.

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The airline placed a $5.82 billion order for 80 of the jets in 2021.

The airline touts its inflight service, which includes free alcoholic beverages in glassware (not plastic or paper cups) for all passengers. It also offers free Wi-Fi.

Larger growth plans

This West Coast scale-up is the latest in a series of steps Porter has taken to increase its presence in the U.S. — particularly out west.

On top of the two Toronto-to-California nonstops launched in January, the carrier also launched inaugural service earlier this month from Toronto to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

All told, the carrier will fly nearly 70% more seats to the U.S. over the next six months versus the same period last year, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The airline also notes these new routes will improve its connectivity. That's thanks, in part, to a recently launched interline agreement with Alaska Airlines. The arrangement allows passengers to book trips with seamless connections between the two carriers (for certain itineraries). It also allows Mileage Plan members to earn miles on certain Porter flights.

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