Air Canada to launch U.S. routes from Toronto island airport, toe to toe with Porter

Air Canada plans to launch flights to the U.S. out of Toronto’s island airport in a bid for business passengers that marks a direct challenge to rival Porter Airlines.

The country’s largest airline says it will fly planes between Billy Bishop airport and New York City, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C., starting next spring for a total of 10 daily return flights.

It will also ramp up its flight frequency to Montreal and Ottawa from the airport, which sits near Toronto’s downtown.

The launch of transborder flights will follow the arrival of a U.S. customs pre-clearance facility at Billy Bishop that allows passengers to be screened by American border guards before taking off.

The shift comes as part of a renewed focus on business passengers and more profitable routes, as cross-border