Porter Goes Mainstream

The scrappy airline already disrupted Canadian aviation. Now, it's trying again — with jets. This time may be a lot tougher.

Dear readers,

Years ago, when I was still young, naive, and new on the beat, I would have believed in Porter's model. If you're a passenger there's a lot to like — a comfortable seat, ample legroom, a fair price, new (and quiet) airplanes, free booze served in glassware, and friendly service. A sure winner, right?

I'm now a grizzled veteran, and I know that passengers want all of the goodies from a full-service airline — not just a good onboard experience, but also multiple daily frequencies in key markets, an expansive route network, a generous loyalty program, lounges, and perhaps the ability to earn free upgrades. After covering JetBlue for so long, I know there's more to operating a successful airline than having an industry-leading economy class product.

Still, I'm not ready to dismiss Porter, because unlike some airlines with rapid growth plans and potentially disruptive business models, Porter has a track record. This is an airline that already upended Canadian aviation and proved naysayers wrong. Starting in 2006, it created a niche business using De Havilland Dash 8-400s from Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport, located in downtown. Porter earned a loyal customer following among people who valued time, convenience, and product. But turboprops can only do so much, and after an excruciatingly long (and unsuccessful) attempt to persuade regulators to permit jets at Billy Bishop, Porter finally began Plan B last year, adding Embraer E195-E2 jets for service from other airports in Eastern Canada.

The airline that once could barely reach Florida from Toronto with a weight-restricted turboprop now flies 29 E2s across North America, including to Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It has 75 firm orders for jets, with 25 options.

You all know how skeptically many insiders view this expansion. As a smart reader told me last month, travelers who want a better economy class experience already fly in Air Canada’s extra-legroom seats, and while that product is no match for Porter’s, many travelers may not want to leave Air Canada’s ecosystem for a marginally better product that has fewer flight choices, none outside North America.

Porter knows about the skeptics, but the privately held airline wants to be taken seriously by all of you, and so its P.R head contacted me recently to arrange for an interview with Kevin Jackson, the carrier's president. Jackson, who spent some of his career at US Airways, joined Porter in 2013 as a marketing vice president. He became chief commercial officer in 2019 and president earlier this year.

Jackson believes the naysayers have it wrong, and that Canada can support three full-service airlines. Here's some of what Jackson told me, including some surprisingly frank comments about how Air Canada is proving to be a docile competitor.