Avelo Airlines adds 4 new cities, will now fly 10 routes from East Coast base
Avelo Airlines is significantly growing its East Coast presence.
The airline on Wednesday announced it will add four new destinations in the Southeast out of its base at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) in Connecticut, on top of the six cities in Florida it already flies to.
The Houston-headquartered ultra-low-cost carrier will add flights to Nashville (BNA); Savannah, Georgia (SAV); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR); and Charleston, South Carolina (CHS). Service to Myrtle Beach and Charleston begins on May 5, while service to Savannah and Nashville begins on May 6.
On three of its four new routes, Avelo will compete against three different airlines that operate from nearby Bradley International Airport (BDL), which serves Connecticut's capital of Hartford. Avelo, which is the sole carrier at New Haven, will be the only airline to operate from any Connecticut airport to Savannah. On its Charleston route, Avelo will compete against fellow ULCC startup Breeze Airways' service from Hartford. Myrtle Beach has long been a destination for Spirit Airlines, which will compete against Avelo on that route — also from Hartford. On the Nashville route, Avelo will compete against Southwest Airlines' Hartford service. By car, Bradley Airport is 56 miles to the north of Tweed-New Haven Airport.
All service out of New Haven is operated using Avelo's fleet of Boeing 737-700 aircraft. Introductory fares are $49 each way.
"The significant service expansion we announced today builds on the excitement for Avelo we are seeing across Connecticut," Avelo CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement. "Our customers are telling us they would love for Avelo to fly to more places beyond Florida. These four new routes show we're listening. Now with 10 popular Southeastern U.S. destinations to choose from, Avelo is Connecticut's most convenient, reliable and affordable choice for your next vacation or weekend getaway."
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Avelo launched service to New Haven in November and has grown steadily since, an indication that its East Coast base has seen some success. This stands somewhat in contrast to the airline's West Coast base at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) in California, where Avelo has rapidly entered and exited certain markets. Most recently, the airline ended its service to Tucson (TUS), just over a month after launching service.
Avelo recently raised $42 million in a Series B funding round and has promised to add nine more 737s this year, and to grow its network to at least 40 destinations.