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Avelo is adding a new state to its map: Wisconsin.
The startup carrier announced Wednesday that it will operate flights between Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) near Wausau and its base at Orlando International Airport (MCO). With that, CWA will become Avelo’s 46th destination — and give the airline a presence in its 25th state.
Avelo plans to fly out of CWA twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays, beginning Oct. 5. Introductory fares start at $49.
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Avelo’s expansion to Wisconsin comes at a time when smaller airports like CWA have struggled to maintain service.
CWA, a midpoint between the Wisconsin cities of Wausau and Stevens Point, is one of the many regional airports across the country that have been afflicted by route cuts caused by the nationwide pilot shortage. In 2021, United Airlines discontinued its route between CWA and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Last year, Delta Air Lines cut flights from the Wisconsin airport to Detroit Metro Airport (DTW), according to a local news station.
Currently, Delta flies from CWA to its hub in Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), and American Airlines operates flights to ORD. This gives passengers flying out of CWA the option to connect at a much larger airport. Avelo’s new route out of CWA will be the only one to fly to a destination without any connections.
The addition of CWA falls in line with the fast-growing startup’s business model, which operates flights from smaller and underserved airports to popular leisure destinations. Avelo has also experienced a surge in growth the past year, adding new and smaller airports in cities like Salem, Oregon, and Dubuque, Iowa, to its map. Meanwhile, it has also been turning major leisure destinations like Las Vegas into bases.
Missy Hughes, Wisonsin’s Economic Development Corporation secretary, said she believed Avelo’s presence in CWA would create more jobs in the region.
“This will create opportunities for business and recreational travel and make central Wisconsin an even more attractive place to live, work, and grow,” Hughes said in a statement.