By Skies Magazine | July 12, 2021 Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 7 seconds.
On July 12, Porter Airlines announced that it is extending service across North America with the addition of “up to 80 state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.” The order was first revealed by Embraer in May 2021, but the customer was unidentified at the time of the announcement.
With Porter officially confirming it is the customer for the order worth a total value of US$5.82 billion (at the current list price), the Toronto-based airline is set to be the North American launch customer for the E2.
Porter stated that 30 of the 80 aircraft are “firm commitments,” acquired by Porter Aircraft Leasing Corp., and the company has purchase rights for an additional 50 jets. Also included in the agreement is the option/ability to convert to smaller E190-E2s. The smaller jets would enable Porter to ramp up service for routes with high demand, and introduce non-stop service “in markets where connecting flights are often the only option today.”
The E195-E2 planes are slated to enter service in mid-2022. Porter plans to operate the new E2 fleet out of Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax with “service to dozens of new North American cities.” Specific destinations will be determined closer to the time of aircraft deliveries.
Service out of Toronto Pearson is a first for the airline; Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport will remain the hub when “high-frequency regional service on turboprop aircraft” returns on Sept. 8, 2021.
Porter confirmed that the E2 fleet will not operate out of Billy Bishop.
“Our commitment to Billy Bishop Airport is not changing,” Robert Deluce, founder and executive chairman of Porter Airlines, said in a statement. “Our corporate headquarters at Billy Bishop is being maintained, and we will continue serving the same network of regional markets from downtown Toronto. We are moving beyond this existing footprint to welcome more travelers across North America, with an emphasis on providing the sophisticated service that only Porter delivers.”
The E2’s range would allow Porter to create new routes in Canada and the U.S., as well as Mexico and the Caribbean.
Deluce added: “Now is the right time to make this investment as the pandemic resets the aviation landscape. Adding a diverse selection of popular business and leisure destinations to our network means that we are better positioned to serve the needs of many more passengers.”
Additionally, the new 146-seat aircraft could translate to as many as 6,000 new jobs (based on 80 jet deliveries).
Sustainability will be at the forefront, as well. According to Porter, “the E2 is the most environmentally-friendly single-aisle aircraft family, measured by sound and CO2 emissions . . . 65 percent quieter than previous generation types . . . with up to 25 percent less CO2 emissions per seat.”
The E2, coupled with Porter’s De Havilland Dash 8-400s, strategically places Porter amongst “the world’s most environmentally sustainable commercial aircraft fleets.”
According to the carrier, the Pratt & Whitney engines “with revolutionary geared-turbofan technology” support the E2’s “incredible fuel efficiency and minimal sound profile.” The aircraft also features Ontario-based Thales avionics and Quebec-based Alta Precision landing gear, supporting jobs and innovation in the Canadian aviation sector.
Embraer president and CEO of Commercial Aviation, Arjan Meijer, acknowledged that “with this order for up to 80 of our largest aircraft, the E2 is making a stunning North American debut.”
Porter’s growth plan is available at www.flyporter.com.
