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.
Want more airline-specific news?  Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter .
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:



Route
Launches
Departs
Arrives
Frequency
Days


YUL-LAX
June 27
7:40 p.m.
10:36 p.m.
Four times weekly
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Saturday


LAX-YUL
June 28
6:15 a.m.
2:40 p.m.
Four times weekly
Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Sunday


YUL-SFO
June 28
8:00 p.m.
11:12 p.m.
Three times weekly
Tuesday/Friday/Sunday


SFO-YUL
June 29
6:15 a.m.
2:40 p.m.
Three times weekly
Monday/Wednesday/Saturday



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

✈️ Welcome to Las Vegas, @porterairlines ! ✨
Get ready for non-stop thrills as we connect LAS to YYZ!