Avelo’s inaugural flight is June 21 to Raleigh, NC.
MANCHESTER, NH – It’s official: Avelo Airlines will be coming to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
The low-fare carrier announced on Wednesday that its first flight out of Manchester will take place on June 21, beginning with a route to Raleigh, North Carolina. After that inaugural flight, Avelo will have flights on Thursdays and Sundays from the two cities at $39 one-way.
Raleigh is one of the bases used by Avelo, a carrier that focuses on customers who dislike the hassle and cost of flights at larger airports and may not consider air travel at all due to those barriers. The company launched in 2021 at Hollywood Burbank Airport (IATA: BUR) after discovering that many southern California residents sought alternatives to LAX.
After providing non-stop flights almost a dozen destinations on the west coast, Avelo began to duplicate that model in New Haven, Conn. (IATA: HVN), later adding bases in Raleigh (IATA:RDU), Orlando (IATA:MCO) and Wilmington, Del. (IATA: ILG)
Avelo Head of Marketing Travis Christ said that part of Avelo’s pricing model depends in part from their usage of next-generation Boeing 737 planes, two of which are also set to begin flights to Memphis and Rochester, NY.
Christ said that the airline is purchasing 20 more such planes expected to be ready for service before the end of the year and more in upcoming years, but it is too soon to tell where those planes may be allocated.
While he would not speculate what metrics might bring those planes and additional flights to Manchester (IATA: MHT), he did say that New England has proven to be a positive market for the company after its entry into New Haven and MHT appeared to be a well-run and beneficial addition for the company.
Avelo will put MHT at five airlines after it begins flights, joining fellow low-fare carrier Spirit as a recent addition to the airport, although Christ sees his company as a different type of carrier from Spirit.
“Spirit’s carved out its own ultra-low cost carrier niche and they’re very good at that. For us, we view ourselves as a little more of a value,” he said. “We still provide low fares while providing a service level that we think is something more comparable to a Jet Blue or Southwest, only with fewer charges.”
MHT Director Ted Kitchens hopes the announcement will help draw New Hampshire passengers away from Boston Logan International Airport (IATA: BOS) with another place for Manchester residents to go on an inexpensive vacation, and potentially lure tourists from North Carolina seeking to enjoy the Granite State.
“Go out there and explore the world, right? It’s a beautiful world out there and we just got a great connection to a beautiful city and a beautiful region of the country that I think a lot of Granite Staters will find if they really explore it, they will like it,” he said.
Kitchens also praised New Hampshire’s congressional delegation for their support of the airport, with representatives of U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Annie Kuster (D-NH-02) as well as U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01)
“It’s always exciting to come to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and of course it’s even more exciting with we’re welcoming a new airline,” said Pappas. “I just want to thank the entire team here at (MHT). The staff, you are all terrific and as we talk about this customer experience, that gives Manchester a competitive edge.”
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig was also on hand to celebrate the announcement, tying in the growing medical biomanufacturing hub in Manchester’s millyard with the renowned medical research facilities in the Raleigh-Durham area and the new opportunities for collaboration this new route may bring.
“The fugure is bright and we’re grateful that Avelo Airlines is making this investment in our community and our state,” said Craig. “We look forward to welcoming visitors from North Carolina.”
When can we start booking flights. I went to web site and it wouldn’t let me put dates in.