TORONTO — Porter Airlines is extending its suspension of all flights until Oct. 7, the third such delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The carrier had previously planned to resume flying on Aug. 31, after initially setting a late-July date.
Porter says the decision stems from travel restrictions that include the ongoing Canada-U.S. border shutdown, mandatory quarantines upon arrival in the country and the Atlantic Canada travel bubble that requires 14 days of self-isolation for non-residents who enter the region.
CEO Michael Deluce says the travel barriers serve "to keep most people at home and show no signs of easing."
The continued flight suspension means Porter, which halted operations on March 21, will have grounded its fleet for at least six and a half months this year.
The airline says it will waive change and cancellation fees on all fares booked through Oct. 7.
Porter, which serves cities in Eastern Canada and the United States, is one of multiple Canadian airlines to ground some or all of its fleet amid border closures and plummeting travel demand triggered by the coronavirus.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
The Canadian Press
