TORONTO – The number of passengers flying Porter Airlines soared to a record 2.1 million in 2011, a figure that included a December load factor of 63.9 per cent, also a record for Porter.

Porter said the December load factor was up 1.5 percentage points year over year.

That was based on 117.6 million available seat miles, an increase of 26.7 per cent in the same timeframe as the airline expanded its number of routes over the year, and 75.2 million revenue passenger miles, up 29.9 per cent.

“Porter is one of the fastest growing airlines in North America,” president and CEO Robert Deluce said in highlighting the results.

“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished as a team and are ready to make our mark in 2012,” added Deluce.

During the full year, in which traffic grew from 1.56 million passengers in 2010, said the airline, based at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Besides adding new destinations, it took delivery of Six new Bombardier (TSX-BBD.B) Q400 aircraft.