Avelo Airlines to make route announcements from Lakeland airport

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — There will be a big announcement regarding commercial flights at Lakeland Linder International Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

As you get closer to being able to book a flight out of Lakeland, you will find out where Avelo Airlines could take you and people like David Bryant who live in Lakeland.

“That’s what we’re waiting for,” Bryant said. “We travel quite a bit, the wife and I, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Avelo Airlines is still fairly new but the sky is the limit for travel destinations.

“As Avelo grows, we would have opportunities to connect to even more useful points,” Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz said.

Avelo planes currently fly to 50 destinations. Several are within the state including Fort Myers, Orlando, and West Palm Beach.

Out-of-state destinations include Savannah, Raleigh, and Palm Springs.

The Bryants are looking forward to the possibilities in their proximity.

“Get more commercial airlines coming through, that’ll be great,” Bryant said. “Being a local realtor here and property investor, I think it’s great.”

Bryant said he usually takes flights out of Orlando. He’s not the only one making a long commute for air travel.

Lakeland City leaders told 8 On Your Side that 2,200 people in Polk County travel to and from other airports daily.

As the fastest-growing county in the nation, the number of people who have to make a long commute for a flight is likely to soar.

City leaders hope the airport will have completed the renovations to make way for these commercial flights by summer.

Then you and the Bryants could start booking.

Avelo will announce its routes at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

This is a developing story. We’ll have more on the new routes as more details surface on Wednesday, March 27.

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