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Several airlines are celebrating 100 years in 2026, but one carrier is much younger than these centenarians. Avelo Airlines is marking its fifth birthday and celebrating its rapid growth since launching operations on April 28, 2021. It was the first new US airline in nearly 15 years at the time.
Since its debut, the airline has flown more than 9.3 million customers across over 74,000 flights and built a network that now includes 34 destinations and nearly 60 routes. What began as a small West Coast operation serving 11 destinations has expanded into a broader network spanning the East Coast, Midwest, 14 states, and Puerto Rico. Avelo abandoned the West Coast in 2025, but it continues to grow throughout the rest of the country.
Avelo has also grown its workforce to more than 1,000 employees and positioned itself as a low-cost carrier focused on convenience and reliability. The airline has emphasized operational performance and it reports one of the lowest cancellation rates in the US industry at 0.13% in 2025. Additionally, nearly 80% of flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule.
To celebrate the milestone, Avelo is offering a promotional discount code “5YEARS.” It gives travelers $50 off round-trip base fares for travel between May and November. The airline also marked the celebration with events across its bases, including giveaways, local food partnerships, and community celebrations.
Looking ahead, Avelo continues to expand. New routes to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and Indianapolis International Airport (IND) are set to launch from its bases at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) and Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA). Later this year, the airline plans to open a new base at McKinney National Airport (TKI) in North Texas, which will initially employ around 50 staff.
Avelo currently operates from multiple bases, including Wilmington Airport (ILG) in Delaware and Lakeland International Airport (LAL) in Florida to support its growing footprint. I was on the first flight out of Lakeland International Airport (LAL) back in 2024 (more here).
Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO, Andrew Levy, said:
When we launched Avelo five years ago, our purpose was clear: Inspire Travel by giving people a better way to fly. Millions of customers have since trusted us with their journeys, and that’s a responsibility we take seriously every day. Our growth, our reliability and our expanding network all reflect the dedication of our Crewmembers and the loyalty of the communities we serve. The next five years will bring even more opportunities to deliver the convenience and value travelers deserve.”
Anthony’s Take: As it enters its sixth year, Avelo continues to focus on affordable fares, underserved routes, and operational reliability, reinforcing its position as a fast-growing player in the US airline industry.
(Image Credits: 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.
