Porter Airlines closing Halifax crew base in May

A De Havilland DHC-8-402 aircraft is seen in this file photo. (Photo courtesy of the Transport Safety Board of Canada)

Porter Airlines is closing a crew base in Halifax this spring as part of a larger consolidation effort across the country.

Porter, which offers flights in North America and the Caribbean, said it is undergoing a “transformative growth plan,” which will see them shut down the crew bases in Halifax and Thunder Bay, Ont., this May.

“There is no effect on our flying in these locations, as we continue offering schedules that meet customer demand,” Porter said in an emailed statement.

The bases, which were originally established in markets outside of Toronto to improve operational flexibility, supported the company’s Dash 8 operations.

“Our network is very different than it once was,” Porter said. “The current regional network has hubs in Toronto and Ottawa. After considering various scenarios, we found that consolidating crew bases in these two cities is the most effective way to organize crew and operate flights.

Porter said 64 crew members in Halifax will be impacted by the closure. The company will still have 87 team members at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

“These locations have been instrumental in Porter’s development for many years,” the company said. “Their contributions are incredibly valued and everyone is being offered positions at YTZ (Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport) or YOW (Ottawa International Airport). In most cases, we expect team members to continue living in their current communities, while their work base changes.”

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