Porter Airlines is opening an aircraft maintenance base at Thunder Bay International Airport, as of February 2019. This development contributes to Porter servicing its fleet of 29 Bombardier Q400 aircraft and will create 18 jobs in the city.

"Thunder Bay is an important location in Porter's network," said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. "This latest investment in a maintenance base demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the community."

Porter has recently made significant investments in Northern Ontario, including opening a base for pilots and flight attendants in Thunder Bay one year ago.

"This decision is excellent news for the city," said Bill Mauro, Mayor of Thunder Bay. "It benefits the economy by introducing quality jobs and supports our airport as a regional hub for moving people and goods."

The maintenance base will be located in an existing hangar at the airport. Porter engineers will perform daily overnight maintenance on two aircraft that will return to service the following day.

"We greatly appreciate the continued confidence Porter has displayed in Thunder Bay," said Ed Schmidtke, president and CEO of Thunder Bay International Airports Authority. "Since initiating service in 2009, Porter has consistently contributed to the airport's growth by increasing flights, passenger volumes and local employment."

Porter currently operates up to seven daily roundtrip flights between the city and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.