Porter Airlines has upgraded and upgauged the cabins in each of its 29 De Havilland Dash 8-400s ahead of its restart next week, installing new, slimmer seats that enabled the airline to add a row in each.
The Toronto-based carrier’s Dash 8s now have 78 seats, up from 74. Adding the row was possible by narrowing pitch 2 in. to 30 in. and swapping old seats out for Expliseat TiSeat E2s which are both thinner about 50% lighter than what they replaced, the carrier said. The changes trim each aircraft’s empty weight by about 1,000 lb., which will cut both fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
Other changes include new carpeting, lavatory enhancements, new sideboards and updated LED lighting, the airline said. It is also repainting the entire fleet.
“The TiSeat E2 combines comfort and performance with an enhanced cabin environment,” Porter Airlines EVP and chief commercial officer Kevin Jackson said. “Passengers have come to expect a refined travel experience when they fly with us and our refreshed, clean, modern cabin will enhance their journey when we return to the skies on Sept. 8.”
Porter is gearing up to fly passengers for the first time since March 2020, when it halted operations amid the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America. The airline will start with 12 routes, and ramp up to 18, not including seasonal destinations.
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