Porter Airlines received official clearance from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide scheduled and charter service. The first planned destination is New York through Newark Liberty International Airport, with plans to ultimately serve as many as nine U.S. destinations, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Regular service to New York will begin later this year but not later than the early part of 2008, according to Robert Deluce, president and CEO. Porter’s primary focus is on short-haul Canadian and U.S. destinations within 500 nm of its base at Toronto City Center Airport, only a few kilometers from the city’s financial and entertainment districts. The clearance was granted despite objections from Air Canada Jazz, which is struggling in court to regain access to the Toronto City Airport. Related Story The airline currently serves Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, and will add Halifax on June 29. Porter plans to fly to at least 17 short-haul Canadian and U.S. destinations.