Porter Airlines is establishing a crew base in Thunder Bay, Ont., as of January 2018.
The move creates at least 40 local jobs for pilots and flight attendants. It is the first such base in Northern Ontario for any large commercially scheduled airline.
“Thunder Bay is a significant Northern Ontario centre that is very important to Porter’s network,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “The ability to base crew there allows us to hire people who value their northern connections and also want an opportunity to fly larger aircraft to more locations.”
Porter has operated in Thunder Bay since 2008.
“This Porter decision brings a large number of jobs to Thunder Bay and confirms the importance of aviation in the regional economy,” said Ed Schmidtke, president and CEO of Thunder Bay International Airports Authority Inc.