Porter Airlines launches new Embraer E195-E2 service from Toronto and Ottawa to

December 18, 2025 at 05:00 AM•2 min read

Porter Airlines launched inaugural non-stop service to Grand Cayman from Toronto and Ottawa using the Embraer E195-E2.

Key Points

1Porter Airlines launched its first service to the Cayman Islands from Toronto (YYZ) on December 16, utilizing the new Embraer E195-E2 jet.
2The new route marks Porter's first international expansion outside of its traditional Canadian and US markets.
3A second non-stop weekly service from Ottawa (YOW) will commence on December 19, establishing the capital's first direct link to Grand Cayman.
4The Canadian market is the strongest recovering source for the Cayman Islands, currently operating at 95% of its record 2019 visitation levels.

Porter Airlines commenced its first-ever service to the Cayman Islands on December 16, inaugurating a non-stop route from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM). This marks a significant expansion beyond Porter's traditional Canadian and US markets. The airline will operate the route three times weekly utilizing the 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which features an all-economy configuration, complimentary beer/wine, and free high-speed Wi-Fi.

A second non-stop route from Ottawa International Airport (YOW) is scheduled to begin on December 19, offering Canada’s capital city its first-ever direct connection to the Cayman Islands. Tourism Minister Gary Rutty highlighted Canada's importance, noting that the market is currently performing at 95% of its peak 2019 visitation levels, making it the strongest recovering source market for the islands. The new Porter routes aim to capitalize on this strong demand and offer increased connectivity across Canada.

Eghtedar Manouchehri, Vice President of Airport Operations at Porter, emphasized the pride in being the first North American airline to fly the E195-E2 to the destination, noting that the new fleet challenges the definition of economy air travel. The new routes were the result of discussions initiated at an aviation conference in February 2023. Furthermore, the Cayman Islands are set to welcome new non-stop services from Delta Air Lines on December 20, connecting Grand Cayman with New York JFK and Detroit Metropolitan Airport.