Avelo Airlines is ceasing operations on the West Coast nearly two months earlier than previously announced.
A spokesperson for the ultra-low-cost carrier confirmed to KTLA Tuesday that it would be departing the West Coast entirely on Oct. 20, not the previously announced Dec. 2 date.
The decision, officials said, was made due to “aircraft needs elsewhere and lack of demand during our final month.”
Travelers who’ve already purchased tickets should have been informed about their options now that flights will be canceled, the company spokesperson added.
Avelo was a major travel partner for Hollywood Burbank Airport, having made the airport its West Coast base when it launched under its current company banner during the coronavirus pandemic.
The ultra-low-cost carrier quickly expanded operations in Burbank, adding flights to various parts of Northern California, Oregon and, briefly, Montana.
But financial troubles and consumer boycotts led to the airline opting out of California and the Pacific Northwest entirely. Avelo has already scaled back its Burbank fleet to a single plane and repositioned its remaining planes to airports on the other side of the country as part of a new strategic focus on the East Coast.
All California-based employees were given the opportunity to transfer to another Avelo base, CEO Andrew Levy said, including in Hartford, Connecticut; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Wilmington, Delaware.
Earlier this year, Avelo found itself embroiled in controversy after it was announced the airline had partnered with the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide charter flights to assist with its deportation efforts. Those flights were specifically operated out of the Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona, but a push for a company boycott was widespread on social media.
Avelo officials insisted that the decision to leave the West Coast was unrelated.
While Avelo is abandoning its small airports on the Pacific Coast, Breeze Airways, another low-cost carrier, announced it would be taking over many of those service routes.
Breeze, founded by David Neeleman, who previously co-founded JetBlue, will begin servicing those cities in March 2026 as part of a massive West Coast expansion.
The Utah-based airline already operates multiple flights from LAX, John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, San Bernardino International Airport and San Diego International Airport, as well as offering service out of San Francisco International Airport.
The post Avelo Airlines pulling out of West Coast earlier than previously announced appeared first on KTLA.
