Porter gets Canadian licence that could allow St. Maarten flights

The Canadian Transportation Agency approved Porter Airlines’ licence for scheduled international service on Thursday 29 October, according to the regulator’s determination. The licence permits Porter to use medium and large aircraft on routes allowed under an aviation agreement between Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning St. Maarten.

The agency said Porter met the requirements under Canadian transportation law and the bilateral agreement. The approval is subject to aviation regulations and operating conditions, but Porter has not announced a St. Maarten route, departure cities, flight frequency, start date or ticket sales.

Porter began Toronto Pearson-Aruba service on Friday 30 October. The airline also listed Montego Bay, Providenciales, Los Cabos and San José among five southern destinations being added for the 2026-2027 winter travel season, and expects nearly 1,400 Toronto Pearson flights to southern destinations this winter, up more than 115% from the previous year.

Porter has an existing codeshare partnership with Air Transat, which serves St. Maarten from Canada, according to the report.