As it navigates a period of massive growth, Porter Airlines is introducing a new senior leadership structure. The president and CEO roles will be separated, with Michael Deluce continuing in the position of CEO, while the title of president is being assumed by Kevin Jackson, currently the airline's EVP and chief commercial officer.
"Porter's continuing evolution into a company that is actively competing in key markets across the continent requires leaders to be focused on achieving all of our objectives," said Deluce.
“This starts with me recognizing that my energy is currently best used on initiatives that often have longer timelines. I will remain closely involved in Porter's overall strategic direction, while Kevin oversees daily business matters and operations."
Michael Deluce, President and CEO, Porter Airlines (Photo Credit: Photo: Porter Airlines)
As CEO, Deluce maintains overall responsibility for Porter, with a focus on strategic planning, maintaining a strong capital structure, managing key stakeholder relationships, and overseeing infrastructure investments like the Saint Hubert passenger terminal in Montréal. Directly reporting to the CEO are the president, people and culture, finance, corporate development and legal. His title as president and CEO of the airline's parent company, Porter Aviation Holdings Inc., remains unchanged.
Jackson's extensive airline industry experience includes the last 11 years at Porter, where he has overseen areas such as airport operations, technology, sales and marketing, communications, revenue management and customer experience. He now oversees all commercial and operational teams.
Prior to joining Porter, Jackson spent over a decade at America West Airlines and US Airways in a variety of digital and marketing roles.
"What people are seeing from the outside is Porter quickly growing with many aircraft deliveries, the introduction of new routes and a level of service that is disrupting what travellers think is possible when flying in economy," said Jackson.
With the introduction of nearly 30 new Embraer jets, Porter is growing quickly. (Photo Credit: Porter Airlines)
"As we continue expanding across North America, we are evolving internally by implementing a number of strategic initiatives that will ensure we compete aggressively in the marketplace and continue providing the high level of service that passengers expect from us. I've loved my time at Porter and this new position is an opportunity for me to support the entire Porter team in delivering the passenger experience we are all proud of."
Porter's fleet has doubled over the past year to 58 aircraft, currently split equally between 29 132-seat Embraer E195-E2s and the same number of 78-seat Dash 8-400s. The airline has confirmed orders for 75 E195-E2s, with purchase rights for an additional 25.
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