Avelo Airlines announces two more destinations from the Wilmington Airport - including one outside the continental United States.
Avelo is now the first airline to offer nonstop flights beyond the continental United States at the Wilmington Airport – with the addition of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The airline is also adding service to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, giving it 15 total destinations from the First State.
Avelo launched its Wilmington service in February and since then over 125,000 people have flown Avelo from there. Delaware River and Bay Authority Executive Director Tom Cook says that support is fueling Avelo’s expansion.
“The local public has embraced Avelo Airlines and the customer service that they provide," Cook says. "The sky is the limit. As they continue to find successful flights, they’re going to expand. And that means maybe more planes being based here, which means more jobs.”
Travelers can book flights to the two new destinations starting in November, with one-ways to San Juan as low as $99 and $49 to Sarasota.
Cook adds the region's Puerto Rican community is substantial, so adding San Juan as a destination is going to help reconnect families.
Avelo’s head of people and customer experience Vicky Stennes says the Delaware Valley region has the second-largest Puerto Rican community in the U.S., so they anticipate a lot of interest in San Juan flights.
She adds Avelo’s rapid growth locally isn’t slowing down.
“I think clearly, the motivation to grow is directly attributable to the response that we’ve had," Stennes says. "125,000 customers have flown with us out of this airport since February, which seems like just a couple of weeks ago.”
Less than two months ago, Avelo added more Florida destinations, plus some in the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Georgia. The two additions announced Thursday bring the total to 15.
Avelo also achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate in the first six months of 2023, as well as the second-best on-time performance in the U.S. airline industry.
