For the first time in a decade, you’ll be able to book a nonstop flight from Delaware to the world’s busiest airport.
Your opportunity comes this fall when fast-growing budget carrier Avelo Airlines begins flying from Delaware’s Wilmington Airport (ILG) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). It will mark the first regular nonstop service between the airports since Frontier Airlines flew the route in 2014, according to airline schedule data firm Cirium.
Service starts Nov. 8, with Avelo operating two flights a week on Boeing 737 jets.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for my free biweekly Aviation newsletter.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines combined already offer roughly a dozen daily round-trip flights to ATL from nearby Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) — which sits just 27 miles northeast of ILG. But Avelo will be the only carrier to fly to Atlanta from Wilmington.
That’s no surprise given that Avelo is the only airline offering regularly scheduled service from ILG, currently the only airport in Delaware with passenger airline service. ILG has struggled to retain service during the past two decades, but Avelo’s decision to expand there in 2022 officially put the First State back on the U.S. aviation map.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
In addition to the Atlanta route, Avelo said it would bring flights back to three Florida airports for its winter schedule. Service to Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) also starts in November.
The new route to Atlanta and the returning Florida ones will give Avelo 13 destinations from ILG; the carrier plans to station a second aircraft at its base there.
Tuesday’s Delaware expansion is not Avelo’s only expansion since last week.
The airline also unveiled plans for additional service from its base at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) near Santa Rosa, California — about 60 miles north of San Francisco.
The airline is adding two new routes from this California airport. Flights from STS to Salt Lake City International (SLC) begin Oct. 24, and an intrastate service to Ontario International Airport (ONT) in Southern California begins Oct. 10. Avelo will offer twice-weekly flights on both routes, neither of which is served by another carrier. Avelo does not currently serve SLC or ONT.
As it does at ILG, Avelo touts STS as a secondary airport for a larger metro (in this case, greater San Francisco). Unlike in Wilmington, though, Avelo is not the only carrier here. However, it now offers the most destinations since making the airport one of its initial cities when it launched in 2021.
Related reading:
