USA Today’s Today in the Sky blog brought attention to Porter Airlines announcement that they’ll be entering the Chicago (MDW) to Toronto (City Centre) market.  Porter Airlines flies sub-500nm routes using Bombardier’s Q400 aircraft, a turbo-prop commuter airplane.

The Q400 offers 4 abreast seating (no middle seats), near jet speeds and a 34″ pitch economy seat for up to 70 passengers while using as much as 40% less fuel (per seat) than mainline or regional jet aircraft.  Makes you wonder why more airlines don’t use this aircraft, doesn’t it?  Me too.

Porter Airlines is flying this aircraft on exactly the right routes.  They experience similar block times as mainline jets (the time used from departing the gate and arriving at the next gate) with a better than average on time record in part because this aircraft can use shorter, less crowded runways and also because it flies in less congested airspace (from 15,000 to 25,000 ft). 

I would love to see an airline like this operate in the Midwest area or Texas as I firmly believe it is a winning model.  Porter Airlines will have to prove this out in Canada and perhaps one day someone in the US will take notice. 

Filed under: Airline Fleets, Airline News, Airline Seating, Airline Service by ajax