On Monday, Avelo operated its last flight to Redding, Calif., one of the airline’s first routes since it began flying in 2021. The ultra-low-cost airline previously served its Burbank base from the Northern California city, along with Las Vegas.
Avelo confirmed plans to exit the Redding market in June, citing a change in ground handling contractors.
“We recently learned the business partner supporting Avelo’s airport operations at Redding Regional Airport (RDD) will no longer be serving RDD. This decision also enables us to better utilize our resources elsewhere in Avelo’s system.” a spokesperson for the carrier told the Record Spotlight.
The airline reportedly contracted with ground handler Trego Dugan Aviation, a family-owned Nebraska-based firm that provides various services to commercial and general aviation operators. Trego Dugan handles both above and below-wing activities for its clients, including baggage loading, passenger boarding, etc.
At a June Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, Trego Dugan general manager Jared Culver explained that the company would be leaving California altogether. According to the Record Spotlight, Culver did not know why the company was pulling out of the state.
Trego Dugan joins a growing list of companies leaving California. Earlier this month, oil giant Chevron announced plans to leave the state.
The ground handling provider did not respond to AirlineGeeks’ request for comment. An Avelo spokesperson did confirm the market exit was related to the ground handling change.
Per several news reports, Avelo attempted to find a new contractor to handle its Redding flights, but was unsuccessful. Both Alaska and United continue to serve Redding with flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.
