Porter Airlines, the new regional scheduled to launch this fall from Toronto City Center Airport (TCCA), named Ottawa as its first point to which it will offer 10 roundtrips daily. The airline is banking on the increased convenience of the city airport compared to Pearson and is targeting 17 short-haul markets in its business plan. (RAN, February 20)

It has ordered 10 70-seat Bombardier's (BBD) Q400 with options for 10 more and expects to take delivery of its first this summer. Its routes will be within a 500-mile radius of TCCA, and includes points in the U.S. such as Boston, Chicago, Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit and Montreal. About 20 full-time jobs will be created by launching the TCCA-Ottawa route.

Porter faces opposition from environmentalists who do not want the airport to expand and charge it will create too much noise at its downtown facility. Air Canada Jazz served the airport until March. The airport also is under scrutiny of the federal government, which is investigating charges it owes millions in property taxes. Access to the airport is via ferry service.

Porter Aviation Holdings Inc. (PAHI), the airline's parent company, has completed an equity financing of more than $125 million CAD, the second-highest ever for a new airline. Investors include EdgeStone Capital Partners, Borealis Infrastructure, which invests on behalf of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), GE Asset Management, Dancap Private Equity Inc. and REGCO Capital Corp., a company controlled by Robert Deluce.

PAHI's chairman is Don Carty, the former president and CEO of AMR Corp. Carty also was president and CEO of CP Air (predecessor to Canadian Airlines).