LAKELAND, Fla. — Avelo Airlines just announced the largest expansion in company history as the Lakeland Linder International Airport re-opens its doors for passengers.
The commercial airline will add seven new nonstop flight destinations from the airport beginning Oct. 24, 2024. Avelo will fly twice weekly from the locations on Monday and Friday.
The new nonstop routes are:
- Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)
- Boston, Massachusetts/Manchester, New Hampshire (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport)
- Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina (Concord-Padgett Regional Airport)
- Hartford, Connecticut (Bradley International Airport)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Wilmington, Delaware (Wilmington Airport)
- Rochester, New York (Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport)
- San Juan, Puerto Rico (Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport)
When Avelo announced its first route from Lakeland to New Haven, Connecticut, the airline said that would be just the beginning. The news drew applause from a crowd that had gathered to hear the destinations and schedule.
The airline says its numbers are so good, so far, at Lakeland Airport thatthey have quickly decided to expand.
“And with the community’s continued support,” said the airline’s Trevor Yealy. “The opportunities here are truly limitless.”
The airport is offering one-way trips for these new locations beginning at $52 until mid-November. Travelers can make reservations on Avelo's website.
“The growth of passenger air service strengthens our connectivity, and accessibility for not only travelers, but also businesses that want to work and continue to grow with Lakeland,” Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz said.
The city of Lakeland says the airport and its surrounding business have a $ 1.5 billion impact on the local economy. It’s estimated the expansion will likely bring an additional 150 jobs, including pilots, flight crews and maintenance workers.
However, the rapid growth also poses some challenges.
The airport's main restaurant remains unoccupied as they struggle to find a new vendor.
Additional flights will likely also put a strain on existing parking capacity. And more flights mean more noise.
The airport says it’s working on an expansion plan and wants to hear from its neighbors.
“It's going to take us a few years to get everything rolling, as far as construction,” Airport Director Kris Hallstrand said. “But we're working on that already today and hopefully within five years we will have something pretty special here.”
As ambitious as Avelo’s new flight schedule expansion might seem, the airline says it's not done yet and that they are currently in the process of evaluating even more destinations, promising another schedule expansion in the coming months.