“We are an egalitarian brand that treats all passengers well. I think that speaks to Canadians. We also highlight Canadian brands that we offer on board. I think people value that, especially in this climate.”
In a one-on-one interview with TravelPulse Canada, President of Porter Airlines Kevin Jackson summarized why he thinks Canadians love Porter Airlines, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the airline’s first flight (from Billy Bishop to Ottawa). In the intervening years, more than 49 million passengers have flown with Porter with the airline covering 784 million kilometres.
Kevin Jackson, Porter Airlines President - Commercial and operations performance and success (Photo Credit: Kathy Buckworth/TravelPulse Canada)
A lot has changed for Porter in the past 20 years, as Jackson reflected on how it all began. “It all started with a Dash 8, a couple airplanes. We had a very, very tiny terminal that you can still see on the other side of the airfield. Now it's 85 aircraft, 133 non-stop routes. It's six countries now, I believe. So the scale of it has changed substantially,” he said. “But what hasn't changed, really, and I'm proud of that, is the culture inside the organization and the focus on the service of the customer. When our airline started 20 years ago, team members knew what they were doing was special and I think they still feel that today.”
That sentiment was echoed by Edmond Eldebs, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Porter Airlines, who was present at the inaugural flight as a customer service representative.
“I was hired two days before Porter started flying, I still remember how it felt. There was so much excitement in the air,” said Eldebs, as he spoke to the room filled with travel and industry partners. “At the time, starting a new airline generated a lot of skepticism. I'm sure a few people in this room wondered why anyone would actually want to start an airline. In some ways, that was one of our strengths. People underestimate how much travellers want a better experience.”
Since 2006, Porter has gone from 100 employees, to over 4,400 today.
Kim Renouf, Manager Commercial Solutions and Business Development for Continental Travel Group flew in from Winnipeg for the celebration, and echoed Eldebs’ comments.
“Our clients love Porter. The service speaks for itself and it sells itself. It’s what Canadians want to buy and stand behind,” she said. “It’s relationship-focused service. They look you in the eye when you board the plane. They care about making sure you have a good flight.”
Edmond Eldebs, Porter Airlines Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer - Revenue generation, business growth, commercial success (Photo Credit: Kathy Buckworth/TravelPulse Canada)
“People notice the free beer, the wine that's served in glassware, the premium snacks and the no middle seats,” said Eldebs. “But what they remember is how they feel when they fly on board. And that warm, genuine hospitality is delivered by our team members every day. No other airline can match that.”
Jackson is excited about what’s to come for Porter in the years ahead, as Porter has aggressive expansion plans, which include growing their aircraft fleet from 85 to 140 over the next five years.
“We've been growing throughout Eastern Canada. You see now as we move outside of the big cities of Ottawa and Toronto at Pearson and Montreal, we're starting to look at markets like Hamilton and London and all of those create incredible opportunities for non-stop service in these medium-sized markets which today don't have that service,” said Jackson.
“We're going to see over the next two, three years, a continued focus on filling in that route map from Eastern County all across the continent, whether it's at Pearson or it's at London or it's at Montreal Metropolitan,” he confirmed.
Partnerships are important to Porter as well. “There continues to be a lot of growth with our airline partnerships: American Airlines, Transat, Alaska,” said Jackson. “I also think VIPorter will be another element of significant growth over the next several years. We've had a program almost since day one, that we really launched last year, along with the premium credit card. That will scale in the years ahead. More partners, more redemption, more earnings. So we're really just getting started when you think about it.”
The one thing that hasn’t changed with Porter airlines is their attention to customer service, which is appreciated and valued by their travel partners and their clients.
Renouf sums it up: “In an era when airlines care more about the money than people, Porter is throwing it back to a time when they cared about people.”
Cheers to the next 20 years!
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