Avelo Airlines made headlines when the 16-jet carrier signed an unusually long 15-year lease at Lakeland, FL, with a possible May announcement of destinations from the airport between Orlando and Tampa.
It turns out the TSA has not yet finalized security at an airport that has not seen service in years.
A launch date for the service has not been announced until the TSA finalizes its setup.
Avelo did not have the same problem at Wilmington Airport last year, since the TSA already had facilities at the airport dating from the two times Frontier served ILG – most recently in 2022.
Wilmington has been mentioned as a possible destination from Lakeland, which is fairly convenient to Disney’s Orlando parks.
At the same time, Orlando is Avelo’s most popular destination from Wilmington and Tampa has remained on Avelo’s schedule.
New Haven expansion continues
Avelo continues its expansion at its New Haven, CT hub, with nonstop flights to Houston, St. Louis, and Traverse City, MI. The service is twice weekly, with the Michigan city getting a weekly flight.
Avelo also announced it will base a sixth aircraft at New Haven. That compares to one in Wilmington after keeping two here last year.
Avelo CEO Andrew Levy earlier confirmed that the carrier will not resume seasonal service from ILG to Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Greenville, SC, and Savannah as it works to build up its Delaware routes to the Carolinas, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The cuts led to fears that Avelo would be added to the list of carriers leaving the airport. However, officials say Avelo has seen success in Delaware and does not rule out expansion.
The New Haven airport also serves a market that’s further away from hub airports than ILG. A portion of northern Delaware is less than an hour from Philadelphia International Airport. Avelo arch-rival Breeze serves the busier airport in Hartford.
Meanwhile, Wilmington Airport operator, the Delaware River and Bay Authority is razing a former motel and restaurant to make way for temporary close-in parking. The DRBA is also getting federal money that will lead to additional improvements.
Parking at ILG will get a little tighter as Easter approaches. As of Thursday morning, more than 200 close-in spots were available. The airport also has a remote lot for peak periods within walking distance of the terminal, which is served by a shuttle during those times.
The airport has more than 800 parking spaces, although parking was scarce at times during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
