Avelo Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded |
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|---|---|
| Commenced operations | April 28, 2021 (as Avelo Airlines) |
| AOC # | BJNA472B |
| Operating bases |
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| Fleet size | 16 |
| Destinations | 44 |
| Parent company | Avelo, Inc. |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Key people | Andrew Levy (Chairman & CEO) |
| Employees | 1,000 |
Avelo Airlines is a low-cost airline in the United States. Its main office is in Houston, Texas. Before it became Avelo Airlines, it flew special charter flights under the names Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airways. It officially became Avelo Airlines on April 8, 2021. The very first flight for Avelo Airlines took off on April 28, 2021. It flew from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport.
History
Casino Express Airlines
The airline started on July 20, 1987, as Casino Express Airlines. It began flying in 1989. At first, it used Boeing 737-200 planes only for the Red Lion Hotel and Casino in Elko, Nevada. Casino Express flew these planes from Elko Regional Airport to many cities in the US.
In 1994, Casino Express also offered flights on weekends. These flights went between Elko and Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. They used McDonnell Douglas MD-80 planes. For a short time in 1999, Casino Express Airlines helped a new airline called Tahoe Air. They used one of their Boeing 737-200 planes for flights from South Lake Tahoe Airport to Los Angeles International Airport and San Jose International Airport.
Xtra Airways
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Casino Express soon started flying for many other groups. These included sports teams, government groups, and other private flights. To show this wider focus, the airline changed its name to Xtra Airways on December 8, 2005.
From 2007 to 2012, Xtra Airways used two Boeing 737-400 planes to fly for Direct Air. Direct Air was an airline business based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
In 2015, Xtra Airways changed the design on its planes. It looked more like a private jet, with blue and red stripes. In September 2016, the airline started using a Boeing 737-800 plane for a political campaign. It was painted sky-blue and white with "Stronger Together" written on it. Soon after, another plane, a Boeing 737-400, was also used for the campaign. It had a sky-blue stripe and "Clinton/Kaine" written on it.
Avelo Airlines
Andrew Levy, who used to work for other big airlines, bought Xtra Airways in August 2018. He wanted to turn the charter airline into a very low-cost airline. By then, Xtra had sold most of its planes. But it kept one Boeing 737-400 to keep its special flying license. By April 2019, the airline was thinking about using Boeing 737-800 planes.
In February 2020, Levy announced a new company for Xtra called Houston Air Holdings, Inc. This name showed that the company's main office was in Houston. In the same month, the company got US$125 million in money to start. They also got their first airplane from GE Capital Aviation Services. This was earlier than they had planned to start regular flights in 2020.
On April 8, 2021, the new airline was announced as Avelo Airlines. It started selling tickets for flights from Hollywood Burbank Airport in California. At first, it flew to eleven places that didn't have direct flights from Burbank. These flights started between April 28 and May 20, 2021. Avelo began with three Boeing 737-800 planes and planned to have six by the end of 2021.
Other airlines reacted to Avelo's new flights. American Airlines changed to bigger planes on its Phoenix to Burbank route. Alaska Airlines announced a new flight between Burbank and Santa Rosa. Avelo's first flight was on April 28, 2021, from Burbank to Santa Rosa's Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport.
On May 6, 2021, Avelo announced it would open a new base at Tweed New Haven Airport in Connecticut. The airline also said it would invest US$1.2 million in the New Haven airport. They planned to use Boeing 737-700 planes for flights from this new base. By August 19, 2021, Avelo announced four routes from New Haven to Florida. As of 2024, Avelo flies from New Haven to 21 places, making it their biggest base.
On January 6, 2022, Avelo announced it had raised another US$42 million. This brought Avelo's total money to over US$160 million. On October 20, 2022, the airline announced its fourth base at Wilmington's New Castle Airport in Delaware. This base would serve Delaware and the wider Philadelphia area. On November 10, 2022, Avelo announced its fifth base at Raleigh–Durham International Airport in North Carolina. On January 30, 2024, Avelo announced its sixth base at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa.
In February 2024, Avelo said it would add five more planes to its fleet. These planes came from a Brazilian airline called GOL.
Corporate affairs
Avelo Airlines' main office is located at 12 Greenway Plaza in Houston, Texas.
Destinations and bases
Avelo flies to places on the east and west coasts of the United States. Before it became Avelo, the airline flew special charter flights in North and South America.
Destinations
As of February 2024, Avelo Airlines flies to 41 different airports. 15 of these flights are only available during certain seasons. Avelo flies only within the United States using Boeing 737 planes.
Bases
Avelo currently has six main operating bases. An operating base is like a home airport where an airline keeps planes and crews.
Tweed New Haven Airport
Tweed-New Haven has become a very important base for Avelo Airlines. Avelo has grown its operations here, using it for most of its flights on the East Coast. In 2021, Avelo and Tweed-New Haven announced plans to build a new, modern terminal and make the runway longer.
Hollywood Burbank Airport
Avelo started its flights from Hollywood Burbank. Its very first flight went from here to Sonoma County Airport. Since the airline began, regular daily flights leave from Burbank.
Orlando International Airport
Avelo made Orlando International its third base in April 2022. They planned to fly to at least 10 different places from Orlando by the end of 2022.
Wilmington Airport
Avelo launched its fourth base at Wilmington Airport in Delaware in October 2022. In 2024, the airline announced big plans for flights from this airport to five summer destinations in Florida.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Raleigh-Durham International became Avelo's fifth base in February 2023. It started with flights to six different places.
Sonoma County Airport
Avelo opened a base at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, California in May 2024. It started with flights to 8 destinations. When this base opened, Avelo closed its base in Las Vegas.
Former Bases
Harry Reid International Airport
Avelo opened its sixth base at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada in September 2023. In February 2024, the airline announced it would close this base. The Boeing 737 planes from Las Vegas were moved to Sonoma County Airport for its new base there.
Fleet
A fleet is the group of airplanes an airline owns and uses.
Current fleet
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As of April 2024, Avelo Airlines has the following planes:
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-700 | 7 | 1 | 147 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 9 | 5 | 189 | |
| Total | 16 | 6 | ||
Former fleet
Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airways, which were Avelo's earlier names, used to fly these planes:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-200 | 7 | 1994 | 2005 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | 2010 | 2011 | Transferred to IAero Airways |
| Boeing 737-400 | 12 | 2006 | 2020 |
See also
In Spanish: Avelo Airlines para niños
- List of airlines of the United States
