Porter Airlines has added another eastbound flight with a new route from B.C.'s capital to the nation's capital.
A nonstop flight from Ottawa International Airport (YOW) to Victoria International Airport (YYJ) will begin service on May 15 and run twice daily on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
"Ottawa continues to be a growing market for us," said Andrew Pierce, vice-president of network planning and reporting for Porter Airlines. "With Victoria as our latest addition, travellers now have more options to fly across the country with us.”
Flights from YOW are scheduled to depart at 8:35 a.m. and 10:55 a.m., while flights from YYJ are scheduled to depart at 11:50 a.m. and 7:35 p.m.
After Toronto, which currently has one daily round-trip service, Victoria is the second eastbound route and the second destination in British Columbia after Vancouver (YVR) for Porter Airlines.
According to the airline, the route will expand to 10 weekly round-trips in May.
Victoria Airport Authority CEO Elizabeth Brown says the Ottawa service is very significant to the meetings and associations market.
As Victoria gets ready to host the Canadian Society of Association Executives, which this year will welcome more than 400 executives from Ottawa's association market, Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) says the announcement of the new flight route on Jan. 28 comes at a perfect time.
“We are delighted to partner with Porter Airlines in this strategic development,” says Paul Nursey, CEO of DGV. “The new Ottawa-Victoria service is a crucial addition, offering seamless travel experiences for conference delegates and business tourists. It strengthens our city's position as a leading destination for meetings and events.”
DGV says conferences and meetings generate valuable revenue during off-peak seasons with delegates typically spending more money and using more services. They are also more likely to return or extend their stay.
In 2024, Victoria Conference Centre hosted 147 events with 94,200 delegates, generating $31.1 million in business sales for Greater Victoria.
