AIRWAYS TRAVELER
PORTER AIRLINES
Story LIAM FUNNELL Photos AUTHOR , UNLESS NOTED
In July 2021 , Porter Airlines ( PD ) announced an ambitious expansion of its routes and fleet with the acquisition of Embraer E195-E2 aircraft , which would join the fleet once the pandemic restrictions would have eased . Up until then , the regional airline based at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , a stone ’ s throw from downtown Toronto , was operating a turboprop-only fleet of Dash-8 Q400 aircraft across its network in eastern Canada .
THE AIRLINE THUS BECAME THE LAUNCH CUSTOMER for the E2 jet , the first one arriving after Transport Canada certification in December 2022 . This enabled a significant expansion across Canada of the airline . Before the arrival of the new aircraft , it served 18 destinations across Canada and the United States ; these have now increased to 24 using both the Q400 and E2 fleet .
The Embraer E195-E2 aircraft is a part of the modernized family of the classic E-Jet series from Embraer . From afar , the aircraft resembles the traditional E-Jet series , with a few notable changes , the most significant of which is the replacement of the engines with two Pratt & Whitney PW1900G turbofans . These make the aircraft one of the most fuel-efficient in its class and help reduce operational costs .
24 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023 www . airwaysmag . com