Why a budget airline that touted its expansion near Charlotte is pulling back routes
Concord-Padgett Regional Airport is losing another nonstop route in a few days, this time due to low ticket sales.
Avelo Airlines is ending service between Cabarrus County and Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, according to the Houston-based airline. The route from the Charlotte region to the Wilmington Airport operated for less than a year after it began last fall.
The elimination of the route to the airport less than an hour away from Philadelphia was made because of low passenger demand in Concord, according Avelo spokeswoman Courtney Goff.
Due to consolidation plans, Avelo is also cutting a route from Concord to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut on March 30. The airport is less than 20 miles away from Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, and is Hartford’s main airport.
“While we are ending these routes, we are looking to fill the flight time with additional frequencies to existing cities and potential new markets in the future,” Goff stated.
Services in Connecticut will be consolidated with a focus on domestic service at Tweed New Haven Airport and international service the Hartford’s Bradley International.
All of these routes flew twice weekly.
Avelo is also ending routes between Delaware and Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Avelo in the Charlotte region
Last May, Avelo became the third airline at Concord, with the first flight going to New Haven, Connecticut. Avelo’s Concord debut, complete with airline and city officials, was announced in February 2024.
Trevor Yealy, head of commercial development for Avelo, said at the time that the company wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to serve the Concord and Charlotte region. The airport and its parking is also convenient for customers, he added.
“Easy in, easy out,” he said. “The parking lot is only a stone’s throw from the terminal, which is really nice.”
Avelo also added routes to Lakeland, Florida; Rochester, New York; and Albany, New York, last year.
The airline will start nonstop flights to Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 3 and Nashville, Tennessee, on April 4, Avelo announced in December.
During that time, Avelo announced plans for up to 50 new jobs by basing two new Boeing 737 aircraft at the Concord airport. Some of those roles include customer service, flights attendants and supervisors.
Avelo is planning to open its Concord and and Wilmington, N.C. bases March 6 and April 3, respectively.
Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines are the other airlines offering service from the Concord airport.
About Concord Regional Airport
Concord-Padgett Airport is owned by the city.
Concord spokeswoman Lindsay Manson declined to comment about the loss of the two routes, and referred comment to Avelo.
The one-runway airport opened in 1994 and celebrated 30 years in November. It was renamed in honor of former mayor Scott Padgett in 2018.
NASCAR race teams use the airport a lot because of its proximity to Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s also an alternative to nearby Charlotte Douglas International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world and a major hub for for American Airlines.
