Avelo Airlines will consolidate its operations into a smaller group of crew bases and reduce its count of Boeing 737 aircraft this year as it prepares to reorient its network around smaller and more modern Embraer planes.
Avelo currently operates bases out of New Haven, Conn.; Wilmington, Del.; Concord, N.C. near Charlotte; Lakeland, Fla.; Raleigh-Durham; and Wilmington N.C. The airline also runs a base out of the Phoenix Mesa airport, though only for deportation flights it operates under contract with ICE.
With the reorganization, the airline will do away with the Phoenix, Raleigh and Wilmington, N.C. bases, though it will continue flying on a lesser scale out of Raleigh and Wilmington.
Avelo will also add a new base late this year in McKinney, Texas, 35 miles north of downtown Dallas, where the general aviation airport is being converted to accommodate commercial flights as well as private jets.
"Concurrent with these network changes, Avelo will make near-term schedule changes that will impact many customer itineraries," the airline said. "Communication will be sent directly to impacted customers by email and text."
The changes represent a further consolidation for Avelo, which completed a pull-out of Burbank, Calif., last month, ending its West Coast operation in the process.
As it trims down, Avelo will do away with six of its eight Boeing 737-700 NG aircraft. That will leave the carrier with a fleet of two 737-700s and 14 of the larger 737-800s for the time being.
The airline said it will spend this year scaling its remaining bases ahead of new growth plans beginning in 2027, when it expects its first deliveries of Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The discount operator placed a firm order for 50 E195-E2 in September and has options to purchase 50 more.
The E195-E2 is slightly smaller than the Boeing 737-700, but its modern design and components make it more efficient.
The plane will also give Avelo more operational flexibility than its 737s due to their ability to operate on shorter runways.
The planes, with their ability to lift quicker than 737s, are likely to be especially helpful in Avelo's largest focus city, New Haven, Conn. The airport's short runways limit the fuel loads on 737s, reducing operational range.