A capital connection is now a reality as Porter Airlines kicked off nonstop flights between Victoria and Ottawa.
The first flight landed to fanfare at Victoria International Airport, greeted by a water cannon salute from the airport’s Fire Rescue crew – a classic celebration for a moment that’s been a long time coming.
#YYJ celebrates the launch of new non-stop service to Ottawa with a water cannon salute. Story to come. pic.x.com/oPjLu76PSb
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) May 15, 2025
Starting with four weekly roundtrips and ramping up to daily service by mid-June, the new route connects Victoria International Airport (YYJ) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW) with Porter’s 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The flights offer passengers a rare two-by-two seating configuration, meaning no middle seats.
As of Thursday, round-trip fares to Ottawa this summer range from $400 to $900.
Porter first began operating in Victoria in September 2023, and this latest launch is a strong sign of confidence in the city’s growing air travel market.
“This route is a natural connection between two cities that share deep national significance and tourism appeal," Andrew Pierce, Porter Airlines’ vice-president of network planning and reporting, said. "We’re proud to be the only airline offering non-stop service between Ottawa and Victoria, providing travellers with a more efficient and enjoyable way to move across the country.”
Scheduled flights depart Ottawa at 8:40 a.m. local time, arriving in Victoria by 11 a.m., with return flights leaving Victoria at 11:55 a.m. and landing in Ottawa at 7:40 p.m local time.
Elizabeth Brown, president and CEO of Victoria Airport Authority, said Porter’s new service shows a strong vote of confidence in Victoria’s market.
“Porter Airlines is showing confidence in the Victorian market by launching a nonstop flight to Ottawa,” Brown said. “This market can sustain nonstop flights to all sorts of destinations, and Porter will be very successful with this Ottawa service.”
Brown added that the new connection could pave the way for more routes in the future.
“Whenever an airline shows confidence in the market, all the other airlines sit up and take notice,” she said. “We would love to see services to Halifax. We’d love to see more connectivity into Montreal and even services going beyond that into international.”
The new route also arrives at a time when domestic travel is gaining momentum amid ongoing tensions between Canada and the U.S., Brown noted. “We expect a shift in capacity into Canadian markets as more Canadians choose to travel across the country instead of going south of the border,” she said.
Destination Greater Victoria CEO Paul Nursey said the route will boost tourism and business travel.“This connection will be fantastic to connect two great capital cities and very helpful in our efforts to continue to boost the meetings and conferences business along with tourism on the South Island as a whole.”
The airport authority works closely with local partners like Destination Greater Victoria to promote and sustain new air routes. Brown explained that airlines want marketing support and strong demand from both ends of a route before committing to service.
“When these flights come into the market, they need to be sustained. People need to use them,” she said.
Steve Nichol, a Victoria resident and past-president of the BC Aviation Museum, was aboard the first flight from Ottawa. He described the trip as “smooth and ahead of schedule” and praised the convenience of a direct route.
“To come back on a direct flight from Ottawa to Victoria is so convenient, you know, there’s no stopover,” he said. “I’m really pleased about Porter serving Victoria.”
The addition of the new direct route boosts Victoria’s role in Canada’s domestic air network, offering travellers a faster, more efficient way to move across the country.
