Porter welcomes U.S. Pre-Clearance at Billy Bishop

Porter Airlines is celebrating a significant enhancement for Toronto travellers with the opening of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) Pre-Clearance at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), marking a new era of convenience for passengers.

As the airport’s largest airline and a longtime advocate for Pre-Clearance, Porter welcomes this streamlined travel experience for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who fly on its U.S. routes each year.

The airline has been the driving force behind U.S. traffic at the airport, accounting for all cross-border service since it started operating these routes nearly two decades ago. This represents over 13 million passengers to date.

Michael Deluce, CEO, Porter Airlines, said: “Porter has strongly supported Pre-Clearance at Billy Bishop for over 15 years, recognizing the tremendous value it brings to travellers. This is an important development for our passengers and the airport.”

Deluce continued: “Since launching U.S. flights from YTZ in 2008, Porter has been committed to providing elevated economy service between Toronto and key American cities. Pre-Clearance represents the next chapter in that journey.”

Porter operates up to 16 daily flights to five U.S. destinations from YTZ to established markets in Boston, Chicago, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C. New service to Nashville (BNA) begins on May 11, and existing Chicago service transitions to O’Hare (ORD) from Midway (MDW), as of Sept. 1.

With Pre-Clearance becoming operational, Porter passengers will clear customs and immigration in Toronto before departure, arriving at U.S. airports as domestic passengers. This eliminates additional time for customs processing upon arrival and facilitates faster connections for those with continuing itineraries.

Deluce pointed out that: “Billy Bishop has consistently facilitated U.S. travel each year for more passengers than other airports that already have Pre-Clearance. We thank the Canadian and U.S. governments for enabling this important investment, as well as Toronto Port Authority and Nieuport Aviation for ensuring that all requirements were in place for the facility to open.”

To ensure a seamless experience through the new facility, passengers travelling to the U.S. are advised to arrive at Billy Bishop three hours before departure, subject to airport operating hours. Check-in and baggage drop-off counters now close 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure times for U.S. flights, allowing for necessary processing through screening before boarding.

Go to www.flyporter.com for more.