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Avelo Airlines

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(Redirected from Xtra Airways)
"Casino Express" redirects here. For the former Finnish passenger ferry, see MS Casino Express.
Not to be confused with Avlo, the low-cost branch of RENFE AVE high-speed rail services.

Avelo Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
XP[1] VXP[1] AVELO
Founded
  • July 20, 1987;
    37 years ago     (1987-07-20)
    (as Casino Express Airlines)
  • December 8, 2005;
    19 years ago     (2005-12-08)
    (as Xtra Airways)
  • April 8, 2021;
    3 years ago     (2021-04-08)
    (as Avelo Airlines)
Commenced operationsApril 28, 2021;
3 years ago (2021-04-28)
(as Avelo Airlines)
AOC #BJNA472B[2]
Operating bases
Fleet size20
Destinations51
Parent companyAvelo, Inc.
HeadquartersHouston, Texas, United States
Key peopleAndrew Levy (Chairman & CEO)
Employees1,100+[citation needed]
Websiteaveloair.com

Avelo Airlines (/əˈvɛloʊ/) is an American ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Houston, Texas. It previously operated charter flights as Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airways before transitioning to scheduled operations and rebranding as Avelo Airlines on April 8, 2021.[7][8] The airline's first scheduled flight under the Avelo name was on April 28, 2021, from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport.[9]

History

[edit]

Casino Express Airlines

[edit]
A former Casino Express Boeing 737-200 in 1994

Established on July 20, 1987, as Casino Express Airlines, the air carrier began operations in 1989 using Boeing 737-200 jetliners flying exclusively for the Red Lion Hotel and Casino in Elko, Nevada. Casino Express operated 737 jet service from Elko Regional Airport non-stop to many cities in the US. In 1994, Casino Express was operating scheduled weekend only flights non-stop between Elko (EKO) and Portland, Oregon, (PDX) and Seattle (SEA) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners.[10] For a short time in 1999 Casino Express Airlines operated one Boeing 737-200 jetliner for the start-up airline Tahoe Air, which provided scheduled passenger air service with non-stop flights from the South Lake Tahoe Airport to Los Angeles International Airport in southern California and also non-stop service to San Jose International Airport in northern California.

Xtra Airways

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A former Xtra Airways Boeing 737-800 landing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 2017

Casino Express quickly expanded its customer base to include sports teams, government agencies, foreign dignitaries, press corps, other gaming properties, and other types of public and private charters. It changed its name to Xtra Airways on December 8, 2005, to reflect its broader focus.[11]

From 2007 through 2012 Xtra Airways dedicated two Boeing 737-400 aircraft to fly for Direct Air, an airline business based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Xtra Airways changed its aircraft livery in 2015 to an executive jet style, displaying flag blue and red stripes.[12]

In September 2016,[13] it began operating a Boeing 737-800 (registration: N881XA), repainted in a sky-blue and white livery with "Stronger Together" titles, for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.[14] Soon afterward a second aircraft, Boeing 737-400 (N314XA), was also chartered by the campaign, painted with a sky-blue stripe and "Clinton/Kaine" titles.[15]

Avelo Airlines

[edit]
An Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-800 at Sonoma County Airport after its inaugural flight from Burbank on April 28, 2021

Andrew Levy, a former chief financial officer for United Continental Holdings and later chief operations officer of Allegiant Air, acquired Xtra in August 2018, with the intent of transforming the charter airline into an ultra-low cost carrier.[16] By that time, Xtra had sold most of its fleet to Swift Air, but kept one Boeing 737-400 to retain its FAA Part 121 Regularly Scheduled Air Carrier certification.[17] By April 2019, the airline was considering operating Boeing 737-800s.[18]

In February 2020, Levy announced the new holding company for Xtra, named Houston Air Holdings, Inc., reflecting the company's Houston headquarters. The same month, the company raised US$125 million in funding and received its first airplane from GE Capital Aviation Services ahead of its original plans to launch scheduled operations later in 2020.[7]

On April 8, 2021, the new airline was announced under the name Avelo Airlines, and began selling tickets for flights based at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California.[19][20] Its initial route network consisted of eleven unserved destinations from Burbank, launching between April 28 and May 20, 2021, with an initial fleet of three Boeing 737-800s, expanding to six by the end of 2021.[9][21] Avelo's announcement of its entry into scheduled flight operations was met with competitive response initially from American and Alaska Airlines, with American upgauging the aircraft on its existing route between Phoenix Sky Harbor and Burbank, while Alaska announced a new service between Burbank and Santa Rosa to start on June 1, 2021.[22] Avelo's inaugural flight occurred on April 28, 2021, which traveled from its Burbank base to Santa Rosa's Sonoma County Airport.[23] The airline on July 7, 2021, announced that it would terminate its flights to Bozeman and Grand Junction by the end of September,[24] while by July 29, 2021, the airline announced an additional five destinations including Fort Collins, Las Vegas, Monterey, Provo, and St. George,[25][26] although the planned flights to Monterey, Provo, and St. George were later cancelled.

Following the airline's California launch in late April, Avelo announced on May 6, 2021, that it would open a new base at Tweed New Haven Airport in Connecticut during the third quarter of 2021.[27] The airline additionally announced that it planned to invest US$1.2 million toward the New Haven airport's facilities, and that it would use Boeing 737-700 aircraft for its operations at the new base.[28] On August 19, 2021, details of the airline's operations at its New Haven base were revealed, initially with four routes between New Haven and destinations in Florida announced to launch during November 2021.[29] By the end of 2024, Avelo had expanded its service from New Haven to 26 destinations, making the airport its largest base.[30]

On January 6, 2022, Avelo announced that it had raised an additional US$42 million. This second-round offering increased Avelo's invested capital base to over US$160 million. On April 14, 2022, the Association of Flight Attendants was certified as the exclusive representative of all of Avelo's 14 flight attendants after a vote under the Railway Labor Act was conducted by the National Mediation Board.[31][32] Over the remainder of 2022, Avelo had established three more bases, consisting of Orlando International Airport in April 2022,[33] Wilmington, Delaware's New Castle Airport in October 2022, and Raleigh–Durham International Airport in November 2022.[34] In September 2023, the airline established its sixth base at Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport,[35] however the base was relocated to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa in May 2024.[36][37] The airline posted its first profit in fourth quarter of 2023.[27]

In February 2024, Avelo announced plans to add five additional aircraft to its fleet, all sourced from bankrupt Brazilian airline GOL.[38] Additional aircraft were sourced from Aerolineas Argentinas and Southwest Airlines in the same year. In July, the airline unveiled its biggest network expansion to date, with 18 new routes, new bases at Hartford's Bradley International Airport and Lakeland Linder Airport, as well as the launch of international service to the Dominican Republic and Mexico for the first time. Levy stated the airline had found a niche primarily serving passengers travelling to visit friends and relatives seeking non-stop flights.[39] Further routes from Santa Rosa to Ontario and Salt Lake City were announced in August.[40]

Corporate affairs

[edit]

The headquarters are in 12 Greenway Plaza in Houston, Texas.[41]

Destinations

[edit]
Main article: List of Avelo Airlines destinations

Avelo operates domestic routes on the east and west coasts of the United States. Prior to rebranding as Avelo, the airline operated ad-hoc and on-demand charter services as both Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airways within the Americas.

Fleet

[edit]

Current fleet

[edit]
Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-800

As of September 2024, Avelo Airlines operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet composed of the following aircraft:[42]

Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Boeing 737-700 8 — 147
Boeing 737-800 12 2 189
Total 20 2

Former fleet

[edit]

Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airways, Avelo's predecessors, previously operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]

Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Boeing 737-200 7 1994 2005
Boeing 737-300 1 2010 2011 Transferred to iAero Airways.
Boeing 737-400 12 2006 2020

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Avelo Airlines Airline Profile". CAPA. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  2. ^ "Airline Certificate Information". Federal Aviation Administration. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  3. ^ "Avelo Airlines Expands its Commitment to North Carolina with Two New Bases in Charlotte and Wilmington and First Two International Routes at RDU". PRNewsWire. December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  4. ^ "Avelo to serve CT's Bradley airport in addition to Tweed New Haven, adds international flights". New Haven Register. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Avelo Airlines announces 7 new routes out of Lakeland, including San Juan, this fall". The Ledger. July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  6. ^ "Avelo Airlines To Establish Base At ILM, Add Three Nonstop Destinations". WilmingtonBiz. December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Bachman, Justin (February 12, 2020). "Former United CFO raises $125 million for U.S. start-up airline". Bloomberg News. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  8. ^ "About XTRA Airways". LinkedIn. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  9. ^ a b McKenty, Natasha (April 14, 2021). "New low-cost carrier, Avelo Airlines, to serve western U.S. for as little as $19 one-way". Skies Mag. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  10. ^ September 15, 1994, OAG Desktop Flight Guide, North American Edition, Elko, NV (EKO) flight schedules
  11. ^ Compart, Andrew (February 5, 2006). "Casino Express changes name, flies in a different direction: Travel Weekly". Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  12. ^ "XTRA Airways Introduces a New Livery, Completes its Move to the Miami Area". World Airline News. August 28, 2015. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  13. ^ hermes (September 7, 2016). "Journalists get to join Clinton on new aircraft". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  14. ^ Atapattu, Suresh A. (September 30, 2016). "Aviation Photo #4005779: Boeing 737-86J". Airliners.net. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  15. ^ Gimmillaro, Chris (October 5, 2016). "Aviation Photo #4009879: Boeing 737-484 – Xtra Airways". Airliners.net. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  16. ^ Kaplan, Seth (April 2, 2019). "New Ultra-Low-Cost Airline Led By Former United Executive Aims To Take Off This Year". Here & Now. WBUR-FM. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  17. ^ "US investor to try to launch new ULCC based on XTRA Airways". ch-aviation. April 5, 2019. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  18. ^ Bachman, Justin (April 2, 2019). "United Air's Former CFO to Launch a New U.S. Budget Airline". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  19. ^ Rucinski, Rachel (April 8, 2021). "New U.S. budget airline Avelo seeks niche on West Coast". Reuters.
  20. ^ Brancaccio, David; Garretson, Meredith; Conlon, Rose (April 8, 2021). "New low-fare airline launches, focusing on smaller airports". Marketplace. Minnesota Public Radio. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  21. ^ Wolfsteller, Pilar (April 12, 2021). "Andrew Levy's low-cost Avelo Airlines hits the ground running". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  22. ^ Pallini, Thomas (April 23, 2021). "American and Alaska are making moves to compete with America's newest airline before its first flight has even taken off". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  23. ^ "Wheels Up: Avelo Airlines Takes Off with First Flight Between Burbank and Santa Rosa" (Press release). Avelo Airlines. April 28, 2021. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  24. ^ Wolfsteller, Pilar (July 7, 2021). "Two months after launch, Avelo cuts destination cities, raises prices". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  25. ^ Lilly, Caitlin (July 15, 2021). "Low-cost airline to launch nonstop service between Las Vegas, California's wine country". KVVU-TV. Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  26. ^ Karp, Aaron (July 30, 2021). "Avelo, Breeze add more new routes". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Anastasio, Ryan (March 2, 2024). "Airlines Avelo and Breeze, three years after their pandemic debut, prepare for a profitable year". CNBC. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  28. ^ "US-Canada showing strong growth with new routes". Flightradar24 Blog. May 3, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  29. ^ Fins, Antonio (September 15, 2021). "New airline to fly from Palm Beach International Airport to Connecticut". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  30. ^ Zaretsky, Mark. "Avelo announces 4 new destinations from New Haven, including Atlanta". New Haven Register. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  31. ^ More Perfect Union [@MorePerfectUS] (April 13, 2022). "BREAKING: Flight attendants at @AveloAir, a new U.S. airline that launched last year, have won their union election and will join @AFA_CWA. Avelo management hired union-busting firm Jones Day to stop the flight attendants, delaying the union vote by 6 months, but still lost" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  32. ^ National Mediation Board (April 14, 2022). "In the Matter of the Representation of Employees of Avelo Airlines, Inc. Flight Attendants" (PDF). National Mediation Board. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  33. ^ Wichter, Zach. "Budget airline Avelo opens base in Orlando with $59 one-way introductory tickets". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  34. ^ "Avelo Airlines to establish base at ILM, add three nonstop destinations". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  35. ^ "Avelo Airlines launches new hub at Las Vegas airport with additional routes". KSNV. September 7, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  36. ^ Sarfaty, Cheryl (January 30, 2024). "Avelo Airlines to establish new base operations at Sonoma County airport, add dozens of new jobs". The Press Democrat. Sonoma Media Investments. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  37. ^ "Avelo Airlines Moving Las Vegas Base To Northern California, Seeking Efficiency". Aviation Week Network. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  38. ^ "Avelo Airlines To Grow Fleet With Five Boeing 737NGs Sourced From Brazil's GOL". Aviation Week Network. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  39. ^ "Avelo will soon fly out of Bradley with two international destinations. See where you can fly to". Hartford Courant. July 24, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  40. ^ SARFATY, CHERYL (July 31, 2024). "Avelo adding Sonoma County flights to Salt Lake City, another California destination". The North Bay Business Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  41. ^ "Contact Us". Avelo Air. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023. Avelo Airlines Customer Support 12 Greenway Plaza, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77046 - Also stated in the contract of carriage Archived April 10, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ "Avelo Airlines Fleet". Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
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