Blocked from flying CSeries jets from Toronto’s island airport, Porter Airlines is boosting its fleet of Q400 turboprops by three new planes. Deluce added spare aircraft are needed for scheduled maintenance, an unforeseen mechanical problem or even bad weather diversions that can put planes out of sync. Porter CEO Robert Deluce said the new planes — two expected to be delivered in December and the third in February — will help strengthen the airline’s route network and offer more flexibility for maintenance schedules. “We have 25 active airlines and one spare (currently),” he said in an interview from England, noting that while the average of the fleet is young at about 7 years, some are 10 years old now, requiring more maintenance. The firm purchase agreement was announced at a signing ceremony at the Farnborough Air Show in England on Tuesday, giving Bombardier a small win, as rivals like Boeing and Airbus racked up big orders this week.

Source: thestar July 12, 2016 18:00 UTC