Announcements about Avero's scheduled route from Lakeland, Fla., on Wednesday came and went without an announcement for the Wilmington flight.
It was widely believed that the Florida airport between Tampa and Orlando would provide service to larger East Coast hubs in Wilmington and New Haven, Connecticut.
Avero will initially begin operating twice-weekly flights to the Connecticut airport starting in June. Avero expanded its New Haven schedule this year despite the New England Airport's older terminal. Avero first launched East Coast service in 2021, and Wilmington launched last year. A new $165 million device is in development.
Earlier, Avero took the unusual step of signing a 15-year lease at an airport in the fast-growing Florida region, sparking speculation that it would create a hub that would attract travelers heading to Orlando and Tampa.
There's no good way to predict whether a small, unproven airport will do well, so it makes sense to start small. Also, destinations that haven't had flights in 10 years may have some issues to resolve.
Avero founder and CEO Andrew Levy earlier said the company would keep its Wilmington flight schedule modest while working to increase brand awareness in the Delaware Valley. .
Local governments plan to promote service from Florida airports, which could be a convenient option. The Lakeland area doesn't have any local attractions, but it's one of the fastest growing areas in Florida and it's a fairly easy drive to Disney, which is even closer to Tampa.
Orlando is Avero's most popular route from Wilmington and Philadelphia International Airport. Diverting some of those passengers to lower-cost Lakeland could be more profitable for the 16-jet airline, which plans to add four planes this year.
Meanwhile, Avelo reported the industry's lowest number of canceled flights in February 2024 and the first two months of the year. It ranked second in terms of the number of on-time flights during the same period. Avero offers all non-stop flights, with no delay-prone connecting services.
Finally, Avero will end its seasonal service from Wilmington to Sarasota, Fla., at the end of April. It will be interesting to see whether the twice-weekly service will be completed in time for the winter travel season.
No passenger numbers were reported between ILG and Sarasota.
Brees heads to Lancaster
Avero's rival Breeze Airways announced this week that it plans to fly to Orlando from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this fall.
The airline is expanding its network by adding Bangor, Maine. Dallas-Fort Worth; Lansing, Michigan; and Pensacola, Florida.
Breeze plans to offer flights from Pennsylvania Airport on Thursdays and Mondays for long weekend travelers.
Breeze and Avelo were launched around the same time in 2021, but they offer different options. Breeze offers new jets, Wi-Fi, and business class-type seating options. Avero offers first-class service in refurbished Boeing 737 jets without Wi-Fi. Both offer flights from smaller airports to popular destinations like Orlando.
American Airlines previously added Lancaster to its bus schedule. Passengers will be screened at a small airport and board a bus to Philadelphia International Airport. Fares from Lancaster may be cheaper than if you booked a flight to Philadelphia to the same destination. So far, it doesn't offer that service in northern Delaware.
Connecticut is the biggest beneficiary of this conflict. Avero operates its largest location in New Haven, and Brees has a large presence in Hartford.
Breeze reportedly suffered heavy losses early on, likely due to route issues and the cost of leasing new jets, while the slightly smaller Avero reported a profit in the fourth quarter.
