Avelo Airlines, one of last year’s crop of start-up airlines, has good news for Delaware, the only state with no scheduled airline service: It’s setting up a crew base at Wilmington’s airport, and will soon start flying five routes from there.
All five of the routes will be to Florida, and will start the first week of February. Avelo, as an ultra-low-cost carrier, and fares will start at $49 one-way plus various fees depending on luggage, etc.
Wilmington has had service intermittently in the past, including a flight by Frontier that ended last June. It’s been hard for Wilmington to establish itself since the airport is only a half hour from Philadelpha’s airport, which is a major hub with hundreds of daily flights.
Avelo is hoping it can make Wilmington attractive enough with its low fares to draw passengers not only from the Wilmington area, but also from Philadelphia. The crew base will create about 35 jobs for pilots, flight attendants, ground service and maintenance workers. Avelo will base one of its 11 737s at the airport, and may add more when it receives five more planes it is expecting by the end of March.
