On Thursday, Avelo scraps flights to Monterey, California, and St. George, Utah. Flights to both destinations were scheduled for September 30 and October 7, respectively. According to Avelo’s statement, “We will take another look at our plans for these two markets next spring”.
Flights to Monterey, St. George, and Provo
What could be the reason for scrapping flights to Monterey, California, and St. George, Utah? The airline cited the recent COVID surge in the US brought about by the Delta variant as the reason for canceling the flights. Just like other airlines, Avelo noticed a decrease in recent bookings. The spokesperson said that “Like all airlines, we’re adjusting accordingly to the current demand climate”.
Aside from Monterey and St. George, Avelo Airlines also removed flights to Provo, Utah—at least for now. The airline confirmed that flights to Provo, Utah will be pushed to November 15 instead of September 17. Avelo announced that anyone affected will be getting a full refund.
COVID Surge and Low Leisure Travel Demand
Avelo Airlines is known to offer flights to less popular destinations. Avelo would’ve been the only airline flying to MRY and SGU from the airline’s Burbank headquarters. Unfortunately, even if Avelo has a monopoly of the market, the demand is just currently low to be sustainable.
Aside from the recent COVID surge, there is just not enough interest in these routes. By fall, airlines can expect low leisure travel demand especially when schools are back.
It’s not the only time Avelo Airlines has cut routes. In July, the airline removed flights to Grand Junction, Colorado, and Bozeman, Montana. Then, the airline initially removed Mesa/Phoenix, Arizona only to confirm later that they are reevaluating its return for 2022.
Though Avelo Airlines is taking out routes on West Coast, the carrier has unveiled four routes from New Haven Connecticut last week. The airline in their statement said that they are “very encouraged about the excitement and interest” in their new service. The Carrier is going to launch flights to four cities in Florida including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Fort Myers by November 3.
