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Porter Airlines moves restart date to July 20

President-CEO calls rising vaccination rates ‘encouraging'
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Porter Airlines operates out of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Porter Airlines is eyeing July 20 as the new restart date for passenger flights.

That's changed from its previously estimated restart date, which had been tentatively set for June 21.

The Toronto-based airline ceased operations on March 21, 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and has readjusted its scheduled resumption of operations multiple times over the last year.

Challenges have included government-imposed travel restrictions, a lack of customer demand due to a surge in COVID cases, and a closed Canada-U.S. border.

“It’s encouraging to see the recovery of the aviation industry in the U.S.,” said Michael Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines, in a May 17 news release.

“As vaccination rates in Canada increase, we are hopeful travel restrictions and public health measures will ease, so we can recall our team members, welcome back our passengers and begin to rebuild the airline.”

Based out of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the airline offers flights to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Québec City, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Halifax, St. John’s, Stephenville, N.L., Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Windsor, New York (Newark), Chicago (Midway), Boston and Washington (Dulles), and has seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Que., Muskoka, Ont., and Myrtle Beach, S.C.