Travelers at the Newport News/ Williamsburg International Airport will soon be able to experience the Sunshine State for as low as $29 for a one-way flight.
Avelo Airlines, a Houston-based discount carrier, said it will begin offering flights to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this fall. The airline plans to start offering Orlando service Oct. 19 and Fort Lauderdale Oct. 20.
“We are thrilled that Avelo Airlines is adding Newport News to the list of destinations they serve,” Newport News Mayor McKinley Price said in a Tuesday announcement. In addition to offering affordable options for Hampton Roads residents, he said the flights will help showcase the convenience of the Peninsula’s airport.
Introductory one-way flights will begin at $29 for Orlando and $49 for Fort Lauderdale. After the inaugural Oct. 19 flight, both Orlando and Fort Lauderdale flights will run Thursdays and Sundays from Oct. 20 to Nov. 9 and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays starting Nov. 10.
Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said airline leaders chose Newport News for its central location between Richmond and South Hampton Roads. He said the airline usually enters markets where there is no similar service available.
“We’re really excited to bring some new options to people who live in the region,” Levy said.
Levy said the strategy is similar to one he used while at Allegiant Air, which also serves smaller destinations with fewer direct flights. Avelo sells several add-ons to supplement ticket revenue, including fees for both carry-on and checked baggage, extra legroom and food service.
If the two initial routes are successful, Levy said airline leaders will explore adding flights to other Florida locations like Tampa Bay, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Sarasota.
Peninsula passengers will enjoy the new services because it means they won’t have to trek across the bridges and tunnels to neighboring airports, where traffic delays can make travel days even longer, said Michael Giardino, Newport News/ Williamsburg airport executive director.
“These flights fulfill what we already know is high demand for great air service in our region,” Giardino said.
The airport had lost business while competing with the Norfolk and Richmond airports because of COVID-19 issues and airline consolidations, Giardino told a panel last year. Norfolk attracted low-cost carrier Breeze Airways in June 2021 that now offers flights to Florida destinations and other locations like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Charleston, South Carolina.
Still, the Peninsula airport landed a $15 million expansion project in September from Newport News aerospace company Aery Aviation, which will create a new 60,000-square-foot hangar and engineering facility.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit AveloAir.com.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, [email protected]
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