Canada's privately held Porter Airlines was profitable in 2011, according to an email sent to employees by chief executive Robert Deluce on Thursday.
Announcing a staff profit-sharing plan in a memo, Deluce said that employees are eligible to share a pool of about CAD$500,000 (USD$505,000).
"2011 was an important turning point for the company. We believe that the foundation we have built, combined with the strength of our Porter team, is the springboard for even greater success and reward in 2012," Deluce said.
The small regional carrier, which competes against Air Canada and WestJet Airlines in Eastern Canada and into the US Northeast, is facing a union drive by its pilots.
Last week, Deluce said that Toronto-based Porter will announce strategic partnerships in 2012 as it seeks growth against bigger rivals.
He said the airline was last profitable in 2007, the year after it began operating from Toronto's Billy Bishop airport, close to the city's financial district.
