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Avelo Airlines officially launched Wilmington International Airport’s (ILM) first international route with nonstop service to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). The 2x weekly service will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays and positions Avelo as the first and only airline to offer nonstop flights between Wilmington, NC and the popular Caribbean destination.
The new route is operated with Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft and extends the airline’s growing footprint in Coastal North Carolina. Since Avelo began flying from ILM in June 2022, it has carried more than 580,000 passengers on nearly 5,000 flights. Avelo celebrated its inaugural Punta Cana flight with festivities at the airport including a Dominican Republic flag presentation, airport-provided treats, and Avelo-branded fanfare. Upon arrival in Punta Cana, travelers were greeted with a traditional water-cannon salute and live music to mark the occasion.
The launch comes as Avelo continues to deepen its investment at Wilmington International Airport (ILM). In April 2025, the airline opened a crew base and stationed two Boeing 737s at the airport. Avelo now offers flights to 15 destinations to/from Wilmington International Airport (ILM) including:
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
- Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
- Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
- Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport (HVN)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
- Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)
- Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
- Tampa International Airport (TPA)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Wilmington Airport (ILG)
Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy said:
Our inaugural international service to Punta Cana from ILM is a significant milestone for Avelo and Wilmington. Our mission is to Inspire Travel, and the addition of international service to our expansive route network offers our Customers even more choices. As the first and only airline offering international service from ILM, we are making it more convenient and affordable for our Wilmington-area Customers to enjoy the D.R. and our 15 popular destinations, while making it easier for visitors to experience the best of Coastal North Carolina.”
Anthony’s Take: Avelo Airlines seems to be finding its niche on the East Coast. The airline has stumbled this year with its withdrawal from the West Coast and its flying of deportation flights. This new international service is a good move for Avelo and one route that should fare well.
(Featured Image Credit: Avelo Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
