Avelo Airlines canceled its flights between Lakeland and Atlanta after Jan. 5 because not enough passengers were booking the route, city commissioners were told Friday. But Airport Director Kris Hallstrand said the airline hasn’t given up on future Atlanta flights.
The Atlanta route was getting about 40% utilization “and that doesn’t pay any bills,” Hallstrand said during a project update meeting.
This week marks one year since Lakeland Linder International Airport and Avelo Airlines announced a 15-year agreement for flights with the low-cost carrier.
Despite the Atlanta hiccup, Hallstrand said ridership is high in general.
Since starting service in June, Avelo has carried 12,145 passengers out of Lakeland and 11,060 into Lakeland. Since then, Avelo has expanded from a single Lakeland route (New Haven, Connecticut) to eight destinations to and from Lakeland.
In November, the airline experienced its busiest month yet: 7,039 outbound passengers and 6,369 inbound, she said. The airport’s passenger parking lot held an average of 182 cars per day in November.
In addition to Atlanta, New Haven and Rochester, Avelo’s current destinations from Lakeland include:
- Concord, North Carolina, near Charlotte
- Wilmington, Delaware, near Philadelphia
- Hartford Connecticut
- Manchester, New Hampshire, near Boston
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
Flights to Nashville begin March 6 and Hallstrand said she’s expecting high ridership.
Try Greenville South Carolina! It’s always full out of Sanford and St Pete!
They need to fly in and out of Knoxville. TN!! So many places to go in that area! I think it would be profitable for them.
Need flights into Minnesota.
Trying to turn LKL into a John Wayne, Love Field, or an Orange County proving more difficult than imagined. Wonder just how much taxpayer cash has disappeared financing this boondoggle?