What to Know
- Avelo Airlines is expanding the cities it serves out of Wilmington Airport (ILG) from 5 to 14 later this year.
- The new routes include spots in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.
- Introductory rates for the new flight routes range between $29 to $49.
You can now fly from Wilmington to Wilmington -- and (at least at first) it will only cost 29 bucks.
Let us explain.
On Thursday, Delaware Gov. John Carney was joined by Wilmington Airport (ILG) leaders and Avelo Airlines representatives to announce nine new routes to and from the Delaware airport that nearly tripled the amount of flights offered out of the First State.
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“We are grateful that Avelo will be expanding service here in Delaware, and we are excited to welcome more visitors to the First State," Carney, a second-term Democrat, said in a news release.
What Cities Will Avelo Now Be Serving Out of Delaware?
Starting this summer, Texas-based Avelo is adding these flight routes to and from Delaware:
- Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) – Effective June 23, 2023 – Mondays and Fridays
- Daytona Beach, Florida (DAB) – Effective June 23, 2023 – Mondays and Fridays
- Greenville / Spartanburg, South Carolina (GSP) – Effective June 22, 2023 – Thursdays and Sundays
- Melbourne / Cocoa Beach, Florida (MLB) – Effective June 28, 2023 – Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR) – Effective June 23, 2023 – Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays
- Nashville, Tennessee (BNA) –Effective June 22, 2023 – Thursdays and Sundays
- Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina (RDU) – Effective June 22, 2023 – Thursdays and Sundays
- Savannah, Georgia / Hilton Head, South Carolina (SAV) – Effective June 28, 2023 – Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM) – Effective June 22, 2023 – Thursdays and Sundays
That's right, starting in June, you can fly from Wilmington (Delaware) to Wilmington (North Carolina) for the first time on Avelo.
The new routes now connect Delaware's only commercial airport with destinations in five states. Many of them vacation destination.
These nine new routes are being added to the five Florida routes -- Orlando (MCO), Tampa (TPA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW) and West Palm Beach (PBI) -- Avelo started connecting with ILG in February.
How Much Do Flights Cost?
As a low-cost carrier, Avelo is starting one-way rates to the new destinations at just $29 (including fees) to Greenville / Spartanburg, South Carolina; Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina; and Wilmington, North Carolina.
One-way flights to and from the other six new destinations range from $39 to $49.
The introductory rates are for a limited number of seats and a limited time only and don't include bags. To get the introductory fares, travelers must book by May 1 and fly by Sept. 6, according to Avelo.
Avelo Sees Boost in Delaware Flights
This expansion at ILG all comes down to money.
Avelo brought commercial air travel back to Delaware earlier this year after previous airlines left the First State.
In the nearly three months since, Avelo has seen at least about 90% of seats on its Delaware flights to and from Florida filled. In total, around 25,000 customers were served at ILG in first 90 days, according to the air carrier.
"It was the combination of we believed there was something here that would work and then within the first 60 days the proof was in the pudding to give us the confidence to expand," Avelo's Trevor Yealy told NBC10's Tim Furlong.
One Big Issue - Parking
The airport has an issue -- parking -- but that's a good problem to have as folks from around the region use the airport where parking is just $8.
The airport is working on figuring out a solution to have the spots to serve more travelers.
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