CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Frontier Airlines operated out of the Wilmington Airport until February 2022. The airline flew out of Wilmington until June 2022.
Avelo Airlines broke a new record for the Wilmington Airport, continuing its commercial success in the greater Philadelphia area and further cementing its presence as an underdog in the air travel industry.
Prior to Avelo’s first flight to Puerto Rico on Nov. 15, the airline announced that it recently surpassed 200,000 served customers from the Wilmington Airport, breaking the previous record set nearly 10 years ago.
Frontier Airlines was the only airline operating out of the Wilmington Airport between 2013 and June 2022. Avelo started flights from the airport in February 2023 with a handful of Florida destinations and has expanded to 16 locations including the San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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"It's great news that Avelo continues to grow here in the greater Wilmington area," Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said. "Being able to bypass larger metropolitan airports in places like Philadelphia and Baltimore should be a boon for tourism as well as make it that much easier for families and loved ones to stay connected."
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Nationally, Avelo has also outperformed other larger airlines in the region in its on-time performance rate, at around 83.4%. Its flight cancellation rate also remains one of the lowest in the area, around 0.5%.
Looking ahead to the holiday travel season, the tide may be turning against larger airports. J.D Power's 2023 North American Airport Satisfaction Study showed that the Philadelphia International Airport received a customer satisfaction score that was much lower than average.
Cost is also a factor when customers choose where to travel from. Average round-trip flights out of Philadelphia hover around $400, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. This figure is nearly four times higher than the Wilmington Airport, which averages around $140.
Avelo destinations scaled back for winter
The airline has temporarily halted flights to Wilmington, North Carolina, and Greenville and Charleston, South Carolina, for the winter season. These destinations will be made available again in the spring. The route to Wilmington, North Carolina, will be available for booking starting March 14, 2024.
These destinations offer flights year-round: