Harry Reid International Airport rolled out the proverbial welcome mat for Toronto-based Porter Airlines, which made its inaugural flight to Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Porter, a nearly 20-year-old airline, kicked off its new daily flight between Toronto and Las Vegas — which will ultimately bolster international visitation to Southern Nevada, officials indicated Tuesday afternoon during an inauguration event at Terminal 3 of Harry Reid.
“When we make it easy to get to Las Vegas, more people come,” said Scott Kichline, managing director of commercial and business development at the airport. “And Canadians love Las Vegas. This Porter service increases the convenience of getting to Las Vegas for those from the greater Toronto area. It also offers more opportunities for our locals to visit and explore Toronto.”
The arriving plane was greeted on the tarmac by Las Vegas showgirls, who shimmered in blue and silver and waved as the aircraft parked at the gate. Pilots and passengers alike could be seen waving back from the taxiing plane.
Meanwhile, people waiting to board the return flight to Toronto at the gate were offered the chance to enter a celebratory raffle, and at least one child bided their time by playing with a stuffed animal version of Porter’s wily raccoon mascot: Mr. Porter.
With Porter’s new service to Las Vegas, which joins existing flight options at Harry Reid for direct service to Toronto, there are now 141 flights arriving to the Southern Nevada airport each week from 11 different cities across Canada, said Kate Wik, chief marketing officer at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Affordable and convenient travel options like Porter’s service to Las Vegas will give more people the opportunity to see and experience Las Vegas’ resorts, attractions, restaurants and more, she said.
“We're grateful for this continued partnership with Harry Reid International Airport, as well as airlines like Porter, to ensure Vegas remains one of the most accessible destinations in the world,” Wik said. “Allowing everyone that chance to experience Las Vegas and the thrills and excitement in person.”
Passengers taking advantage of Porter’s service between Las Vegas and Toronto will be flying on the new Embraer E195-E2, which the airline added to its fleet just over a year ago, said Brad Cicero, director of communications and public affairs at Porter.
The aircraft has expanded the reach of the airline, which previously only flew short distances. Now, it’s added service not just to places like Florida and California, in addition to Nevada, Cicero said.
“So it's really making Porter a North American airline,” he told the Sun at Harry Reid, where passengers deboarded the flight from Toronto and accepted frosted cookies from waiting showgirls. “Having a network that can bring people, in this case, not only to Toronto, but to connecting options and other places in Eastern Canada … And people coming to Vegas have all kinds of options, as well, to entertain themselves.”
He emphasized that Porter is not a low-cost airline, and offers a “different kind of experience” for passengers, including free WiFi, premium snacks and more.
“We provide a number of onboard amenities — free beer, free wine. A little bit like Vegas,” Cicero joked during his remarks Tuesday.
He thinks Las Vegas is one of Porter’s best-selling new markets over the last year, Cicero told the Sun, and the airline’s inaugural flights in and out of the city on Tuesday were both nearly full.
“We’re really proud to be the first airline bringing the Embraer E195-E2 to the U.S.,” he said to onlookers during the inaugural event at the terminal. “These new aircraft really help us go farther to places like Vegas.”