Flights to Vegas and Hollywood doubled by airline at Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ontario

A Toronto-based airline that began operating out of Pearson Airport in Mississauga in early 2023 is doubling the number of flights it offers to popular destinations Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Porter Airlines, which previously ran its passenger flights exclusively out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport before announcing in December 2022 its new relationship with Pearson, said in a news release issued Wednesday that due to “strong demand,” it’s doubling capacity on those two key routes from Pearson starting late this summer.

The new schedules will take effect on Aug. 29 for Las Vegas and Sept. 5 for Los Angeles, the carrier added.

“This provides passengers with more options to plan their travel, including connecting flight itineraries,” Porter said in the news release.

“Porter has seen tremendous demand for these routes since they were launched earlier this year and we’re committed to providing our passengers with options to personalize their travel experience,” added Edmond Eldebs, senior vice-president and chief commercial officer at Porter Airlines.

Both routes are served by the new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, the company noted, adding the plane’s two-by-two configuration means there are no middle seats on any flights.

Airline executives said additional connections are available on the routes through Porter and its airline partners.

Alaska Airlines offers onward travel across the western U.S. via Las Vegas and Los Angeles while Porter’s extensive Eastern Canada network and Air Transat’s many European markets serve eastbound passengers from Pearson, the carrier explained.

In May, Porter announced it was significantly adding to its summer schedule this year with as many as 176 daily flights from Pearson and Billy Bishop airports to 27 North American destinations.

By August, Porter officials said at the time, they expect to be the third-largest carrier flying out of Pearson (behind Canada’s two biggest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet), with as many as 74 daily flights to 16 destinations across Canada and the United States as part of its “most substantial summer schedule to date.”

In early March, the Toronto-based carrier began offering daily flights from Pearson to Las Vegas as it continued to expand its service.

Other U.S. destinations from Pearson include Florida and San Francisco while Canadian cities on Porter’s route list include Halifax, Québec City, St. John’s, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria, Winnipeg and Saskatoon.

Porter officials said earlier the company’s moves over the past year or so position the carrier to compete head-to-head with Canada’s largest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet.

(Cover photo: Pearson Airport X)