US startup Avelo Airlines will add two more routes from its Orlando (MCO) base in January 2023, bringing to 10 the nonstop routes it will serve from the resort city in Florida.
From Jan. 11, Avelo will begin operating 2X-weekly flights between MCO and Dubuque (DBQ) in Iowa. The airline noted DBQ’s potential catchment area: “Located along the Mississippi River, Dubuque is situated along the borders of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.”
From Jan. 13, the carrier will launch 2X-weekly service between MCO and Dayton (DAY) in Ohio. Both routes will be flown with a Boeing 737 aircraft; Avelo operates a mix of -700s and -800s. The airline expects to operate 14 Boeing 737s by the end of 2022 and 16 by the 2023 second quarter.
The carrier already has plans to launch service from Binghamton (BGM) in New York state to MCO from Nov. 16.
Orlando is one of Avelo’s three aircraft bases, along with Burbank (BUR) in California–where it launched operations in April 2022–and Tweed-New Haven (HVN) in Connecticut. Avelo conducts pilot and flight attendant training in Orlando.
The carrier in October revealed it would open a fourth base at Wilmington (ILG) in Delaware. It will start MCO-ILG service on Feb. 1, 2023.
Avelo has postponed plans to open a base at Fort Myers (RSW) in Florida due to damage the airport sustained during Hurricane Ian.
“We promised growth when we opened our Orlando base, and now we’ve added two more nonstop routes: Dayton and Dubuque,” CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement. “These routes make getting to Orlando more affordable and easier than ever, plus they offer Orlando residents opportunities to visit places not previously served from MCO.”
Avelo will not face direct competition on either route. The airline currently serves 34 destinations.
During a Nov. 3 ceremony at Tweed-New Haven, Levy noted Avelo completed its 5,000th flight at HVN. “This milestone represents a 130% increase from the scheduled commercial flights operated at Tweed in 2019—the last full year of pre-pandemic commercial air travel prior to Avelo’s arrival,” Levy said. “Avelo has doubled its [HVN] route network from six Florida destinations to 14 destinations spanning seven states. Today, Avelo serves more nonstop destinations from Connecticut than any other airline operating in the state.”
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