Avelo adds another direct flight from Wilmington International Airport
For the second time in less than a month, Avelo Airlines has announced that a new route is coming to Wilmington.
The budget airline company is adding service to Wilmington, Delaware, making it the first and only airline offering a nonstop flight between the two Wilmingtons, according to a news release issued by Avelo on Thursday.
The release bills the airport in Wilmington, Delaware, as a “convenient and easy alternative” to Philadelphia International Airport and highlights its proximity to southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and the northeastern shore of Maryland.
Service to Wilmington, Delaware, will begin on June 22 with flights twice-weekly on Thursdays and Sundays on a 189-seat Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 airplane, the release states.
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On Thursday, Avelo also announced plans to double its existing service to New Haven, Connecticut, this summer. Starting June 22, the company will fly to New Hanover four times each week on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.
The airline, which began service out of Wilmington International Airport last year, now serves seven destinations from Wilmington:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, via Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Orlando, Florida, via Orlando International Airport
New Haven, Connecticut, via Tweed-New Haven Airport
Tampa, Florida, via Tampa International Airport
Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, via Baltimore/Washington International Airport
West Palm Beach, Florida, via Palm Beach International Airport
Wilmington, Delaware, via Delaware’s Wilmington Airport
In the news release, Jeffrey Bourk, director of Wilmington International Airport, said Avelo’s announcement will give travelers more options and is expected to increase enplanements at the airport by nearly 25% over the coming year.
New Hanover County Airport Authority Chair Spruill Thompson noted in the release that Avelo’s seven nonstop flights are estimated to have an annual economic impact of $625 million, based on information from a N.C. Department of Transportation economic impact report.
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Bill Rivenbark, chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, wrote that the new flights will make it easier for both visitors and residents to travel into and out of the Cape Fear region.
“As our community continues to grow, so does the list of destinations people can reach from the Wilmington International Airport,” he stated in the news release. “This and other Avelo nonstop flights are making it easier for our residents to reach the world from their own backyard, while also creating more opportunities for visitors to access our community.”
Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at edill@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington airport gets new Avelo Airlines route to Delaware
