Porter Airlines announces direct flights between Winnipeg and Toronto starting next September

Toronto-based Porter Airlines has announced that direct trips to and from Winnipeg are set to take flight in September, adding to a series of recent wins for the city in attracting new airlines.

While Porter Airlines, which has been in operation since 2006, may not be as well-known in Manitoba, the airline's turboprops are common sights at Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto. The airline recently acquired E195-E2 jets from aerospace manufacturer Embraer that allow for more capacity and distance than its fleet of turboprops.

Service to Winnipeg will begin Sept. 7, with flights to be offered twice a day. Initial round-trip fares to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport will start at $177, according to a Tuesday news release from Porter Airlines.

John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University in Montreal and a former airline executive, warns travellers not to expect those prices to last very long, as Porter is establishing itself in Winnipeg's marketplace through initial pricing.

"It'll last for about two or three months, and after that — welcome back to high prices," he told host Faith Fundal during a Tuesday interview with CBC Radio's Up to Speed.

The news from Porter comes as direct flights from Atlanta and Los Angeles were recently announced for Winnipeg over the past year.

Winnipeg's airport has been pretty aggressive in attracting new airlines, said Gradek.

The new flights could make fares to and from Toronto more competitive, he said. While he doesn't think Air Canada will match Porter's prices, Gradek says it will most likely tail close behind.

Winnipeggers should take up the valuable chance to try Porter's services and give the airline a warm welcome as it enters the city's market, he said.

"This is Porter's risk to manage," he said. "It is different [from] Air Canada, it is different [from] WestJet, so enjoy the service because they'll need your support."

Gradek says Porter has done a good job of building its brand with turboprops, but he adds the airline will have to expand the destinations of its newly acquired jets, on top of learning how to operate them at Toronto Pearson International Airport since earlier this year.

"They've had to get themselves into a different mindset of flying a jet versus flying turboprops — so training pilots, flight attendants, all of your staff. They're flying out of Pearson, which they don't know that well, so it's a learning experience," he said.

Porter's move to Winnipeg is a major win, said Gradek, adding that the city "won the lottery on this one."