On Thursday, Avelo Airlines announced its first escapade from its sole east coast base in New Haven, Connecticut, adding flights to four popular leisure destinations in Florida. Specifically, the Houston-based carrier intends to add flights to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa during the month of November, coinciding with the busy winter holiday rush.

Initially, Avelo Airlines plans to commemorate the launch of flights from its New Haven base on November 3, with a ceremonial flight between New Haven and Orlando. The first flight out of New Haven will depart at 11 A.M. and arrive in Orlando at 1:55 P.M., before departing Orlando at 2:35 P.M. and arriving in New Haven at 5:15 P.M.

Flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando see five-weekly flights a week from November 4 and November 5, respectively. During the winter holiday season and Thanksgiving, both routes see an increase in frequency to daily flights. Similarly, flights to Tampa and Fort Myers see a weekly boost in frequency during the same periods. These flights launch on November 8 and November 11, respectively.

These four routes will utilize Avelo Airlines’ fleet of two Boeing 737-700s, equipped with 147 seats, in a 3-3 configuration. In December, the airline will receive a third Boeing 737-700 and utilize five Boeing 737-700s for its New Haven base by early next year, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, the airline plans to add two aircraft for its Burbank, Cali. base, totaling Boeing 737-800s.

In a statement, Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy states, “We’re excited to bring more choice, everyday low fares and the Avelo Soul of Service to Connecticut. Connecticut residents told us they want more convenient and affordable options for flying to Florida and we listened. These four popular sun-soaked destinations are an ideal winter retreat. The refreshingly simple and smooth HVN small-airport experience will ensure our Customers depart relaxed and ready for some fun in the sun.”

About New Haven

With the new route, Avelo Airlines hopes to draw travelers from Southern Connecticut to New Haven. With an abundant number of options to Florida via airports in Hartford, Conn., White Plains, N.Y., New York-Laguardia, New York-JFK, the Houston-based carrier will rely on New Haven’s convenience and accessibility to travelers, in addition to low fares.

Ultimately, there is heavy demand from New Haven’s catchment area to Florida, according to a filing to the Department of Transportation. Flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando see more than 400 passenger trips per day one way – PDEW. Meanwhile, flights to Tampa and Fort Myers see 185 and 115 PDEW, respectively.

Currently, American Airlines operates flights from New Haven to Philadelphia via its regional subsidiary’s Embraer E175. The Fort Worth-based carrier is slated to exit New Haven by the end of September, as American cut its Philadelphia flight frequency from pre-pandemic levels and suspended flights to Charlotte, leaving Avelo Airlines as the only carrier at the airport.

Avelo Airlines has invested $1.2 million into its base in New Haven, renovating and rehabilitating current facilities at the airport. Furthermore, the low-cost carrier is hiring 100 employees in New Haven, including pilots, flight attendants and more. In the long run, airport operator Avports plans to embark on a $100 million expansion, including a new terminal and a runway extension.

Looking to the Future

According to the New Haven Register, Avelo Airlines intends to launch a fifth destination, likely in Florida, hoping to launch the flight by the end of the year. Cities such as Jacksonville – identified as an air service target by New Haven – and West Palm Beach – with a higher PDEW than Jacksonville and was filed temporarily as a destination on Avelo Airlines’ site – could be potential destinations.

In addition, according to the New Haven Register, Andrew Levy named potential destinations such as Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C. and Atlanta, assuming its current New Haven offering meets expectations.

About Avelo Airlines

One of the newest airline startups in the United States, Avelo Airlines launched its first base in Burbank, Cali. on April 28, 2021, to eleven destinations in the Western United States. Similarly, Burbank is an underserved airport, according to Avelo Airlines, though it is a secondary option in a large metropolitan area.

In an interview with AirlineGeeks, CEO Andrew Levy stated, “Certainly focusing on secondary airports in big metro areas is an opportunity we think is ripe and that we expect to pursue. Burbank, to me, might be the best airport in the country. It’s certainly the best secondary airport in the country. It’s a great place to start. There are quite a few large metro areas in the United States that have viable secondary airports. Not every big metro area has them, but many of them do. And that’s interesting to us because, in most cases, either these are airports that are underutilized or they’re just unutilized.”

In recent months, the Houston-based carrier has refined its network and taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-700, deploying it on routes from Burbank. Specifically, it plans to remove three destinations from its network: Bozeman, Mont., Grand Junction, Colo. and Mesa-Phoenix, Ariz. However, Avelo Airlines plans to connect four points to its network, with flights to Fort Collins/Loveland, Colo., Monterey, Cali., Provo, Ariz. and St. George, Utah, in addition to a point-to-point flight from Santa Rosa, Cali. to Las Vegas.

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Winston Shek

Ever since Winston was a toddler, he has always had a fascination for airplanes.From watching widebodies land at Washington Dulles to traveling the world, Winston has always had his eyes towards the skies.Winston began aviation photography in 2018 and now posts his photos occasionally on his Instagram account.He previously wrote for a blog.In his free time, Winston loves to play chess, do recreational activities, and watch sports.Looking into the future, Winston plans to service the aviation industry.

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