Porter Airlines will fly from Hamilton to Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Vancouver starting in June

Porter Airlines will launch service at Hamilton International beginning in early June 2025, with daily flights from to Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Vancouver, airline and airport executives announced Tuesday.

Porter Airlines CEO Michael Deluce made the announcement at a news conference at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.

"Hamiltonians and their neighbours have long deserved a commitment such as what Porter is making, with four routes connecting them across the country," Deluce said in a news release. 

"We see significant opportunity in this market to expand our network across North America and believe that the community can support these initial flights — which will position us to consider offering additional service from Hamilton."

The announcement comes weeks after Play Airlines announced it was pulling out of Canada — less than two years after entering the market.

The discount carrier's schedule shows that starting in late April it will stop its four flights per week from Hamilton to its home base in Reykjavik, Iceland, which it uses as a stopover for trips to Europe.

Cole Horncastle, executive managing director of Hamilton International, said Porter's service is "a perfect fit" for Hamilton.

"We are delighted to welcome Porter Airlines to Hamilton International as a strategic airline partner," Horncastle said.

'A major win for the City of Hamilton,' mayor says

Mayor Andrea Horwath said she's thrilled to welcome Porter Airlines to Hamilton.

"This is a major win for the City of Hamilton and will significantly transform our airport's passenger service offerings," she said.

"For years, the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport has been home to Canada's largest domestic overnight express cargo service, fueling our community's economic growth and creating jobs.

"But Hamiltonians have also longed for more robust passenger options to serve travellers from our city and surrounding communities," the mayor added. 

Horwath said the strategic partnership between Porter Airlines and Vantage Group/TradePort, with whom the city recently completed a new long-term lease, is "a significant investment that will rejuvenate and boost passenger services and will benefit residents, businesses, and the broader region for decades to come."

Last fall, TradePort International Corporation — the company that runs Hamilton International — announced it  would spend $400 million in upgrades for passenger and cargo transportation over the next 49 years.

The city said then that TradePort will expand passenger terminals, upgrade cargo facilities and airplane taxiways, and achieve net-zero carbon by 2030. 

TradePort is a subsidiary of Vantage Group, which invests in, develops and manages airports internationally.