TORONTO – The transportation industry has been hard hit by COVID-19. Travel restrictions have reduced passenger numbers for airlines, and for ground transportation.
Today, Porter Airlines is extending its temporary suspension of all flights due to COVID-19 by four weeks until June 29. The airline stopped flying on March 21, as travel restrictions and public health measures were increasing in North America.
“Our initial restart date of June 1, was something we believed was reasonable at the time,” said Michael Deluce, president and CEO, Porter Airlines. “While there are many promising signs about how COVID-19 is being contained, it is also clear that border restrictions, government-imposed stay-at-home orders, and bans on non-essential travel will remain in place for many regions through much of May and into June. This makes it difficult for people to travel, so Porter will continue aligning its approach with the public health response.”
“We are eager to restart operations, so that team members can be recalled to work and we can help facilitate an economic recovery,” said Deluce. “This will be done in a responsible manner, taking into account health and safety precautions.”
Additional measures will be introduced prior to restarting flights in compliance with evolving regulations and Porter’s own standards to ensure that our team and passengers are protected.
Travel options are important during times like these. To provide flexibility and give travellers peace of mind when purchasing for future travel, Porter is waiving change and cancellation fees on all fares booked by June 29. This also applies to Porter Escapes vacation packages. Tickets for travel beginning June 29 are available for purchase now.
