Avelo sticks with winter schedule as feds order flight cuts
Avelo Airlines plans to maintain its current Wilmington (ILG) schedule through April, even as federal authorities mandate a 10% reduction in flights across 40 major airports due to the government shutdown. Wilmington has become one of Avelo’s strongest markets.
Although the airline mainly serves smaller airports like Wilmington, some cuts to major destinations such as Orlando may occur. Despite this, Avelo announced on social media that it expects to preserve its flight schedule for now, crediting its focus on smaller city routes for this stability.
“Avelo will be able to keep its flight schedule, at least for the time being,” the airline stated, explaining that its niche service model supports this decision.
Federal regulators have also instructed large airlines not to limit their required reductions to regional carriers that service smaller cities, amid concerns that regional hubs like Salisbury, Maryland, could suffer most from the cutbacks.
The timing of the federal order coincides with the slower winter period for air travel. However, ongoing shutdowns extending into the Thanksgiving holiday could disrupt current plans further.
At present, Avelo operates three Boeing 737 jets out of Wilmington’s Delaware Airport, marking a quicker-than-expected retreat from its earlier West Coast operations. The addition of another jet will reduce the number of twice-weekly flights, while increasing connections such as ILG–San Juan, which will climb from two to three or more weekly flights this winter.
Author’s Summary
Avelo Airlines holds its Wilmington flight schedule steady amid federal 10% cut orders, leveraging smaller market routes and new aircraft capacity to absorb the impact.