Winter Getaway: Porter Airlines Brings Toronto to Florida with Seven New Routes

Travelers escaping the Canadian winter for Florida’s beaches and amusement parks will soon have more flight options as Toronto-based carrier Porter Airlines launches links to five new sun-soaked destinations, including Miami.

Canada is the largest source of international tourists to Florida, with an average of 3.5 million snowbirds visiting annually. Porter Airlines hopes to capture some of that market, with seven new daily routes to the Sunshine State launching in November and December.

Southbound flights will depart in the afternoon for six of the seven routes, with return flights the following morning.

Tampa and Orlando

Starting November 1, flights will take off from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) for Tampa International Airport (TPA). Later that month, on November 10, a link between Toronto and Fort Myers Airport (RSW) will debut.

Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida / Photo: Joni/Adobe Stock

Two new routes will also launch on November 21: Toronto to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando to Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW).

Fort Lauderdale and Miami

On November 30, Pearson will introduce two flights to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) from Toronto and Ottawa.

Finally, on December 12, flights from Toronto to Miami International Airport (MIA) will commence.

Coastline of Miami Beach, Florida / Photo: Antonio Cuellar/Unsplash

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava welcomed the new route. “At 603,000 passengers in 2022, Canada was already MIA’s 10th-busiest international market last year, and travel between Canada and MIA is up a whopping 44% so far this year. I look forward to seeing Porter Airlines’ daily service from Toronto strengthen that thriving connection between Canada and Miami-Dade County even more,” she said.

The Embraer E2 Expansion

The Florida links are just some of the new destinations Porter Airlines has introduced since it added Embraer E195-E2 jets to its fleet earlier this year.

The airline previously operated exclusively regional De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 turboprop aircraft, with ranges limiting it to short-haul flights to Eastern Canada and the U.S. East Coast destinations.

Photo: Courtesy of Porter Airlines

With 16 E2s currently flying and another 14 on order, Porter has already begun operating longer-haul flights to destinations in Western Canada and the Maritimes, including Vancouver (YVR), Edmonton (YEG), Calgary (YYC), Halifax (YHZ), Thunder Bay (YQT), Charlottetown (YYG). It also debuted flights from Ottawa to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Additionally, from September, Porter will fly from Toronto to St. John’s (YYT), Winnipeg (YWG), and Victoria (YYJ).

In Toronto, these flights originate from Pearson Airport rather than Porter’s home airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), which can’t accommodate jet aircraft.

Photo: Porter Airlines, Embraer E195-E2. Courtesy of Porter Airlines.

The E2s offer 132 seats, all in economy class and a 2-2 configuration with no middle seats. Other amenities available to all passengers include free onboard Wi-Fi, complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, and a selection of premium snacks. Travelers who pay for all-inclusive PorterReserve fares can access priority check-in, extra legroom seats, pre-mixed cocktails, and fresh meals.

“Canadians are used to flying to Florida, but not like this,” said Kevin Jackson, Porter’s vice president and chief commercial officer. “Porter is challenging the industry’s definition of economy air travel. We believe that time onboard our aircraft is just as important as at the destination.”