Air access continues to be a strategic priority for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and today the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, is applauding two new routes announced by Porter Airlines, with service from Deer Lake to Halifax, and St. John’s to Ottawa.

Both routes will fly daily, with service to Halifax from Deer Lake beginning on June 4 and service from St. John’s to Ottawa beginning on June 6. Deer Lake is a new destination on Porter’s flight map while the Ottawa route is returning to the province for the first time in five years.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, in partnership with airports, airlines and other stakeholders, is making great strides on the issue of air access. Just last week, Deer Lake Regional Airport announced new flights to Toronto Pearson and Calgary. In 2023, the Provincial Government announced the reestablishment of a direct flight to Europe with WestJet’s St. John’s-London route, Flair Airlines’ entrance into the provincial market and Air Canada’s new agreement with PAL Airlines.

In 2023, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador made up to $3.75 million available to provincial airports to use as needed to help foster route development.

Quotes
“The combination of government investment and strong stakeholder relationships is paying off. This year alone we have seen the return of our direct connection to Europe, WestJet’s return to the west coast, and now Porter’s return of the St. Johns-Ottawa route, as well as Deer Lake-Halifax. I’d like to thank Porter Airlines for their commitment to this province and I look forward to seeing these new routes succeed.”
Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation

“During Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador’s Annual Conference and Trade Show last week, we heard that access to and from the province continues to be a major priority for tourism development and growth. The demonstrated collaboration between governments, airports and airlines around air service development is proving its value by creating positive advancements. Today’s announcement from Porter is an important step toward increasing connectivity for Newfoundland and Labrador, both domestically and internationally.”
Craig Foley
Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador

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