TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 6, 2026--
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These awards highlight the best of the best in a variety of categories such as travel, food and drink, and things to do, with all nominees submitted by a panel of experts. Porter was ranked first out of 20 international airlines.
“Porter has set the standard for a more enjoyable travel experience for all passengers since its founding 20 years ago,” said Edmond Eldebs, senior vice president, chief commercial officer, Porter Airlines. “We have distinguished ourselves by offering an elevated economy service inclusive of no middle seats, free beer and wine served in glassware, and complimentary premium snacks on every flight. Porter’s growth over the next several years will see us bring this experience to even more travellers. This award speaks to the commitment of our team members to provide the highest level of service and genuine hospitality.”
The airline has seen tremendous growth in the past three years. In 2023, Porter launched a transcontinental network based on its order for up to 100 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Fifty-six E2s are currently in service, complementing 29 De Havilland Dash 8-400s. Porter has been expanding its network, now serving 33 destinations and 131 routes across every Canadian province, the U.S., and sun destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
More information on Porter and its growing network is available on the website www.flyporter.com.
About Porter
Since 2006, Porter Airlines has been elevating the experience of economy air travel for every passenger, providing genuine hospitality with style, care and charm. Porter’s fleet of Embraer E195-E2 and De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft serves North America, including a coast-to-coast domestic Canadian network, the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Headquartered in Toronto, Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline® in the World Airline Star Rating®. Visit www.flyporter.com or follow @porterairlines on Instagram, Facebook and X.
Porter Airlines was selected as the world’s Best Economy Class by USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the third year in a row Porter has received this prestigious recognition.
ATLANTA (AP) — Zoo Atlanta’s newest pandas munched bamboo and lounged Friday during their public debut as smiling visitors lined up to welcome them.
Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female, arrived in September from China under a 10-year loan agreement, bringing the cuddly black-and-white bears back to the zoo after a two-year absence. After spending the past weeks getting acclimated to their habitat, the 6-year-old pandas greeted visitors in the newly renovated Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove.
Eight-year-old Rachel Sutherland and her family were visiting from Sacramento, California, and extended their vacation by a day to see the pandas.
“They’re amazing,” said Rachel. She said she was partial to Ping Ping because the name reminds her of the color pink.
Ping Ping has distinctive dark circles around his eyes, while Fu Shuang has a protruding forehead, according to Xinhua News Agency. Both were born at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.
The Atlanta zoo's panda enclosure had been empty since 2024, after four other pandas returned from the United States to China, ending a 25-year partnership amid strained relations between the two countries.
During a news conference Friday morning, Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., said the pandas' arrival “marks the renewal of a decade-long bond between China and Zoo Atlanta.”
“We trust that under the loving care of Zoo Atlanta, the two pandas will eat happily, sleep soundly and grow healthy and strong in their new home, bringing twice the joy and happiness to everyone who loves them,” the ambassador said.
Georgia Tech student Kevin Wei, 18, said he'd been counting down until “panda day,” and felt especially connected to the animals because they are from his hometown of Chengdu.
“It's kind of like having a familiar bond,” Wei said. “Although I'm living in the U.S., I still can connect with myself and to China.”
China has long used pandas as part of its diplomacy globally, deploying the bears in loan programs as expressions of goodwill and letting loan agreements lapse when tensions arise.
Zoo Atlanta is one of three U.S. zoos that now house the popular bears.
The National Zoo in Washington returned three pandas to China in 2023 before accepting new arrivals Bao Li and Qing Bao in October 2024. The San Diego Zoo debuted two pandas in August 2024.
A decade ago, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified giant pandas from endangered to vulnerable, reflecting pandas' growing numbers in the wild in China.
Resident Kim Herres, 76, said she has been visiting Zoo Atlanta ever since the city first received pandas in 1999. She said she sees pandas as a symbol of the world “doing the right thing” to protect animals.
“I'm just glad we've gotten them back,” she said. “Hopefully we won't make the Chinese mad, and they won't come get them.”
A sign represents Pandas as Zoo Atlanta introduces its new giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the public Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Fu Shuang eats as Zoo Atlanta introduces its new giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the public in Atlanta, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
A visitor watches as giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang make their public debut at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Fu Shuang eats as Zoo Atlanta introduces its new giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the public Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Ping Ping eats as Zoo Atlanta introduces its new giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the public Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
FILE - In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, vehicles carrying a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, leave the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan Province, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.(Xu Bingjie/Xinhua via AP, file)
