Two flights a day now link Ottawa and Hamilton, and for the moment no other airline offers the same trip nonstop. Porter Airlines runs the service with its 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400, a turboprop built for short and medium hops.
Until now, getting between the two cities by air meant a connection somewhere. The new route cuts that out and goes airport to airport, between John C. Munro Hamilton International and Ottawa International.
Ottawa matters beyond the city itself. Hamilton passengers who change there can carry on to Charlottetown, Fredericton and Moncton, so a single domestic ticket opens a path from Ontario to the Atlantic provinces. The travel site that covered the launch said that could encourage multi-city holidays and longer stays.
Business and leisure
Hamilton brings industry, health sciences, education and advanced manufacturing to the pairing. Ottawa, as the national capital, generates travel for government work, education, events and sightseeing. That mix of business and tourism traffic, the report said, could help the route hold up through the year.
The Hamilton airport has been adding nonstop destinations, and the Ottawa flight is the latest. For visitors from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, it offers a reason to add the capital’s museums, festivals and heritage sites to a trip. Going the other way, Ottawa travellers no longer have to backtrack through a larger hub.
Cabin details are part of the pitch. The Dash 8 has two seats on each side of the aisle, which means nobody gets stuck in the middle. Passengers get complimentary beer and wine and premium snacks.
Sources
Sources
- Porter Airlines Inaugurates Ottawa-Hamilton Service – Open Jaw
- Porter Airlines Opens New Nonstop Corridor… – Travel And Tour World
