Commercial Flying Is Back in All 50 States Thanks to This Low-cost Airline Launching in Delaware
Avelo Airlines will be flying to several Florida destinations from Wilmington, Del.
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images/Courtesy of Avelo Air
Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines launched flights from Delaware on Wednesday, bringing commercial flights back to the state and ensuring commercial flights reach all 50 states.
The airline, which first launched in 2021, will now fly nonstop from the Wilmington Airport (ILG) to five popular destinations in Florida: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, according to the airline.
“The strong booking trends we are seeing across all five Florida routes make it abundantly clear that people throughout this four-state region are excited about the faster and easier way Avelo will get them to The Sunshine State,” Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement. “We’re equally excited about the Wilmington-based team we are building, as well as the opportunity to support ILG’s neighboring communities and contribute to Delaware’s economic growth.”
The new routes represent the first commercial flights the airport has seen since last year when Frontier Airlines canceled its service to the state, leaving Delaware as the only state without commercial airline service, according to the Delaware News Journal. Frontier had initially restarted flights in 2021, but pulled out due to a lack of demand.
“Sufficient demand did not materialize to support the service," a Frontier spokesperson told the paper at the time. “We are continually evaluating our routes and [the New Castle Airport] will certainly remain in the consideration set for potential service in the future."
In 2021, the Wilmington airport, which sits about 26 miles from the Philadelphia International Airport, was federalized by the Transportation Security Administration.
Thomas J. Cook, the executive director of the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the airport, said in a statement it offers passengers the ability to “avoid the hassles of a big city airport.”
Avelo first launched out of Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles before expanding to the East Coast with a base in New Haven and in Orlando.
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