Avelo pulls plug on Tri-Cities flight that started just 20 days earlier. What happened?
Avelo Airlines is pulling the plug on a new flight that proved unpopular with Tri-Cities travelers.
In a case of the airlines giveth and the airlines taketh away, Houston-based Avelo said it will halt service between the Tri-Cities Airport and the Bay Area’s Charles M. Schultz Airport in Sonoma County on June 12.
The news comes just days after the service began on May 1.
On the upside, Avelo will expand its twice-weekly service between Pasco and Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles to four weekly flights beginning in September.
The airline blamed low demand for service to Sonoma and said it would redeploy its equipment — it assigned a Boeing Next Generation 737 to the Pasco-Sonoma run — elsewhere, according to a statement released by Courtney Goff, spokeswoman.
Those have about twice the capacity of regional jets which carry about 75 passengers.
Customers who booked flights are being notified and will receive refunds as well as credit for future Avelo travel.
The Avelo flight was expected to provide some relief to Bay Area-bound travelers during United Airlines’ temporary suspension of service to San Francisco International between May 22 and June 30 because of runway construction.
Airlines regularly cancel runs that don’t generate enough business.
In February, Allegiant Air confirmed it would not resume seasonal service between Pasco and San Diego this year because of low demand.
Conversely, strong demand brings new service. The Tri-Cities Airport is on track to beat its 2019 boarding record this year after falling about 1,000 passengers short in 2023.
Rising demand and heavy promoting by the port and local economic development officials helped beef up connections to major hubs, notably Phoenix Sky Harbor International.
American Airlines began offering daily flights to Sky Harbor in February and recently confirmed the flight is so successful it that a second daily flight will be added to the schedule in September.
Go to flytricities.com for airline service information.
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