Avelo cuts 3 brand-new routes, including one it hasn't even started flying

Budget airlines are often quick to pull the plug on routes that aren't drawing enough customers to fill planes and make money — and that's certainly the case with Avelo Airlines' latest network cuts. The Houston-based ultra-low-cost carrier on Thursday confirmed that it is trimming three routes from its schedule next month: two that the airline only just started flying late last fall and another that hasn't even launched yet.

After April 28, Avelo will end nonstop service from Hartford's Bradley International Airport (BDL) to Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) in Florida. The service began Nov. 8, so it has only been around for a few months.

Also getting the axe that same day: Avelo's flights between tiny Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) in Central Florida and New Hampshire's Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT), which launched in late October.

Additionally, Avelo announced plans to cut nonstop service from BDL to Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) in North Carolina effective April 28 — service that isn't even scheduled to begin until early next month.

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Avelo was frank on the rationale behind the three cuts, which were first spotted by Ishrion Aviation. "These routes generated low demand, and we can better utilize our aircraft with new routes or additional frequencies in these markets," a spokesperson told TPG.

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With respect to the end of Avelo's Hartford-to-Daytona Beach service, the cut didn't come as a major surprise after the carrier trimmed a handful of additional Hartford flights. Last month, Avelo told TPG it had reconsidered its strategy in Connecticut, where the carrier already boasts a sizable presence at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN). Going forward, a spokesperson said, the airline will house its domestic operations in New Haven and focus solely on international service out of nearby Hartford.

Still, it's not all bad news for the airline. Avelo is fresh off a 13-route expansion announced last week, which included 10 new routes out of North Carolina. In fact, the airline opened a new base at Concord-Padgett March 6 and has another planned for Wilmington International Airport (ILM), on the state's Atlantic coast, planned for April 3.

Meanwhile, executives told TPG this month the airline is getting set to reveal the details of its first-ever loyalty program later this spring. By late summer, the company hopes to unveil its inaugural cobranded credit card.

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