- Avelo Airlines revealed the first routes out of its Tweed-New Haven base and they're heading to four cities in Florida.
- The airline is banking on Tweed's accessibility and convenience to entice passengers to choose it over New York or Hartford.
- Avelo may face competition from newcomer Breeze Airways in New Haven, but CEO Andrew Levy is not concerned.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Startup Avelo Airlines has chosen Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport as its East Coast base, a significantly underserved market in southern Connecticut.
Service from New Haven will launch on November 3 with four routes to Florida. Avelo is the first airline to ever offer nonstop flights from New Haven to the sunshine state and hopes to give customers more options for beach vacations and winter getaways. American Airlines is Tweed's only commercial operator flying six times daily to Philadelphia, but Avelo hopes to fill the gaps with high-demand routes at rock-bottom fares starting at $59 one-way.
The initial schedule of flights includes service to:
- Orlando, from November 4;
- Fort Lauderdale, from November 5;
- Tampa Bay, from November 8; and
- Fort Myers, from November 11.
Avelo will launch with two Boeing 737-700 jets formerly operated by Southwest Airlines and expects to add a third by early December, with five living in New Haven by the second quarter of 2022. The company has invested $1.2 million into the modernization and expansion of its East Coast base and plans to hire 100 New Haven-based employees by the end of the year, including pilots, flight attendants, and airport operations staff.
One of Avelo's main draws to New Haven is its location. The city is surrounded by a cluster of towns and is nestled between New York City airports and Hartford Bradley International Airport. The area hosts a large potential market, and travelers who formerly had to choose between Hartford and New York will soon have a third option in between, and Avelo is banking on New Haven's accessibility and convenience.
"We're really focusing on the entire southern Connecticut region from Greenwich to New London. I think we have a great chance of getting people to forget the drive to New York and all the hassles there and the drive to Bradley and instead stay closer to home in an airport that is super easy to get in and out of. Small is great for airports, it makes life easier for the customer," Avelo CEO Andrew Levy told Insider.
A potential threat to Avelo's routes in Connecticut is rival upstart carrier Breeze Airways. Breeze launched in May with nonstop flights to Hartford. However, Levy did not express concern over potential competitors.
"I don't think we'll be the only airline in New Haven forever. I'm not sure what Breeze is going to do when it gets its new airplanes, but I'm not concerned about them or anyone else," he said. "We're going to build our market and we're going to do a great job of taking care of our customers and delivering a great low fare."
For the November 3 launch, passengers can expect a no-frills experience in line with its ultra-low-cost business model. Water will be complimentary on every flight, but snack packs and other in-flight food and drinks will be available for purchase. However, Levy explained he does not believe passengers truly care about what snack or drink is offered onboard and wants to focus more on low fares and customer service.
"I think most people care about getting a really great price, obviously being on a clean, comfortable airplane, and having friendly people that take care of you. I think we do that really well now and I think we'll do that really well in New Haven," Levy said.
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