TORONTO — Porter Airlines’ newest routes include nonstop service between Vancouver and Phoenix, and also new nonstops linking Miami and Phoenix with Ottawa.

Porter notes that YVR-PHX is the airline’s first transborder route from Western Canada. Service runs daily through April 19.

Porter also now offers the only nonstop service from YOW to MIA and PHX.

Porter’s Phoenix flights from Vancouver will operate on the airline’s Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.

“Being able to give travellers more convenient options to travel from Vancouver is a pivotal moment for Porter,” said Andrew Pierce, Porter’s VP, Network Planning and Reporting. He notes that connections are also available from Phoenix through Porter’s partner, American Airlines, to destinations such as Tucson and San Diego.

From Ottawa, Porter’s Phoenix flights start Feb. 7 and operate three times weekly. The YOW-MIA flights started Jan. 24, also three times weekly. The Florida destination adds to Ottawa’s growing list of Sunshine State markets, including Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa.

Both new routes provide greater international and cross-border connectivity for onward travel by two significant hubs for Porter’s codeshare partner, American Airlines. In Phoenix, this opens up 36 additional destinations in the Western U.S. operated by American Airlines and its affiliates, including Tucson, Honolulu, Kahului, and San Diego, and offering easy connections to many top cities.

“The ongoing addition of nonstop routes from YOW reflects Porter’s commitment to Ottawa-Gatineau,” said Pierce. “Canadians want to escape winter and these in-demand routes provide more options and more sun for the region.”

This winter, Porter is offering more flights from YOW than any other carrier, serving 26 nonstop routes.

Miami and Phoenix are part of a larger expansion into sun markets from Ottawa this season, with destinations in Mexico, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Costa Rica operating since December.