The past couple of years have been good for the overall air transportation network in the United States, with cities returning after being gone for sometimes over a decade. Gallup and Las Cruces, New Mexico, both have resumed air service with Advanced Air in the past year thanks to local and state funding to support air service to the communities. Las Cruces lost airline service back in 2005, Gallup lost airline service back in 2008, and Salem lost air service back in 2008, but life is breathing back into them again after being out of the system for so long.

An Advanced Air Super King Air 350 in Albuquerque (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

According to a local website in Salem, The Salem Reporter, the airport received an $850,000 federal grant to use for minimum revenue guarantees. A revenue guarantee entices airlines to serve these small communities and give them a chance, as the carriers won’t have to worry about filling the planes and making a profit during the first couple of years serving the new market.

This is very common throughout the industry and is how many airlines get a foothold on new routes and destinations. Then, once the revenue guarantee terms end, if the carrier had consistently full planes the airline will hopefully continue to serve this market if it has done well.

New Ultra-Low-Cost Service

The new flights to Salem will be to Burbank, Calif. via ultra-low-cost start-up Avelo Airlines, as well as the airline’s newest base in Las Vegas. The first flight will operate to Las Vegas and will fly on a twice-weekly basis, Thursdays and Sundays, with Burbank flights beginning the next day on Oct. 6, 2023, and operating on Fridays and Mondays.

Boarding Avelo’s first-ever commercial flight in Burbank. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Taylor Rains)

With airlines beginning to announce flights that start in the fall, it is expected that a couple more of the Small Community Development Grants will be used and airlines will announce flights on underserved routes in the coming months.

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Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit but has a special interest in Essential Air Service Airports. He got his degree in Aviation Management and Operations from WMU in June of 2022, and is currently working full time for an airline in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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