In Connecticut, the turf war between the two newest US airlines in the low-cost airline sector is coming to a head.
For months, low-cost airline Avelo Airlines has been pursuing significant growth plans for the east coast around Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN), which until recently offered no commercial service.
But Avelo will soon have company in New Haven – and on a grand scale.
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Breeze Airways, another young airline, will begin service to New Haven in December and plans to operate ten routes from the southern Connecticut airport by February – including more than half a dozen routes where it will compete directly with Avelo.
The two airlines compete on some routes to Florida as well as other destinations in the Southeast, such as Charleston International Airport (CHS) in South Carolina and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina.
Breeze also announced plans to significantly expand its presence at Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford in the coming months, where the two airlines already compete directly. The plans, Breeze said, will also include international flights in the future.
Avelo also announces additional service to New Haven
Avelo, for its part, is not giving in to the pressure. The Houston-based ultra-low-cost carrier announced Tuesday that it will launch a new nonstop flight to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in November – its 27th destination from New Haven.
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The route will open on November 14 with two weekly round trips on Thursday and Sunday.
In addition, the airline announced Tuesday that it will add two additional nonstop flights from New Haven to San Juan, Puerto Rico, beginning Nov. 8, increasing the number of Boeing 737-800 jets it operates from its largest base.
“Avelo is proud to be Connecticut’s airline and to continue growth in New Haven,” Avelo CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement Tuesday.
Breeze’s new routes
Here’s a full list of Breeze’s new nonstop routes from New Haven. Routes will be phased in from December through February.
| route | Product launches | frequency |
|---|---|---|
| HVN to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) | 10 December | Five times a week |
| HVN to Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 11 December | Five times a week |
| HVN to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) | 11 December | Five times a week |
| HVN to Vero Beach Airport (VRB) | 13 December | Twice weekly |
| HVN to Charleston International Airport (CHS) | 6 February | Four times a week |
| HVN to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) | 6 February | Twice weekly |
| HVN to Norfolk International Airport (ORF) | 6 February | Twice weekly |
| HVN to Richmond International Airport (RIC) | 6 February | Twice weekly |
| HVN to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) | February 7 | Twice weekly |
| HVN to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) | February 7 | Twice weekly |
Breeze’s growth in the Northeast
Breeze’s major expansion in New Haven comes just days after the airline appeared to capture some of Avelo’s territory and took over the airline on some additional routes to New England, most notably Hartford.
These 10 new routes are also just the Utah-based airline’s latest expansion in the Northeast – New Haven is its eighth destination in New England and its 64th city nationwide.
“From day one, our plan envisioned significant growth in the Northeast U.S. due to high population density and limited opportunities for nonstop travel,” Breeze Chief Commercial Officer Lukas Johnson said in a statement Tuesday.
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In addition to the significant growth planned in Hartford, Breeze plans to dramatically expand its presence in Providence, including international services, the airline announced earlier this year.
The airline is in the “final stages” of obtaining approval for international flight operations, Breeze said on Tuesday. It hopes to be able to sell tickets for international flights by the end of the year.
A victory for New Haven
While these two airlines appear to be battling for dominance in New Haven, it is ultimately the local travelers who come out on top.
Just a few years ago, the airport had only limited commercial service, and at times even suspended it altogether. Now that Avelo has already served more than two dozen destinations, it will soon gain additional nonstop and weekly frequencies with the arrival of a second airline at Breeze.
It’s also worth noting that New England more broadly has been a focus for several U.S. airlines recently. In addition to Avelo and Breeze’s expansion in Connecticut (and Breeze’s focus on Providence), JetBlue has doubled down on its operations in the region as part of its recent network realignment – with a particular focus on routes from the Northeast to Florida and San Juan.
Tweed New Haven is located approximately 75 miles from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), approximately 80 miles from Midtown Manhattan and just 55 miles from Bradley in Hartford.
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