Airports in Toronto have a long history of employing porters to assist passengers with their luggage. In the early days of commercial air travel, airport porters were mostly young men hired on a casual basis. Their job involved carrying passengers’ luggage from the terminal to the aircraft and vice versa.
As air travel grew in popularity, the role of airport porters expanded to include a broader range of services. Porters would help passengers with check-in, direct them to their gate, and provide assistance with any questions or concerns they had. They also helped passengers navigate through customs and immigration checkpoints.
In the 1950s and 1960s, airport porters in Toronto were typically of Jamaican descent and were known as “Redcaps” due to their distinctive red hats. Many of these porters had migrated to Canada from Jamaica, seeking better economic opportunities. Working as airport porters provided them with a stable income and a sense of community.
Over time, the role of airport porters in Toronto continued to evolve. As air travel became more complex, porters needed to keep up with changes in airline regulations and technology. The advent of wheeled luggage, for example, meant that porters had to adapt their techniques to handle the new equipment.
Today, airport porters in Toronto are known as “Sky Porters” and are employed by both the airport authority and airlines. They continue to provide valuable assistance to passengers, helping to make their travel experience more comfortable and less stressful.
