Lakeland Linder International Airport and Avelo Airlines officials announced Tuesday that the airline is adding seven new nonstop destinations to and from Lakeland.
The airline also announced it is making Lakeland one of its eight hub cities nationwide, where it keeps aircraft full-time.
New destinations: Starting this fall, the airline will fly directly from Lakeland to seven new destinations. They are:
- Atlanta (ATL) — Beginning Nov. 7, Thursdays and Sundays starting at $52 one way.
- Boston / Manchester, N.H. (MHT) — Beginning Oct. 25, Mondays and Fridays starting at $62 one way.
- Charlotte / Concord, N.C. (USA) — Beginning Oct. 24, Thursdays and Sundays starting at $52 one way.
- Hartford, Conn. (BDL) — Beginning Nov. 8, Mondays and Fridays starting at $72 one way.
- Philadelphia / Wilmington, Del. (ILG) — Beginning Nov. 7, Thursdays and Sundays starting at $67 one way.
- Rochester, N.Y. (ROC) — Beginning, Oct. 25, Mondays and Fridays starting at $62 one way.
- San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) — Beginning Oct. 26, Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at $89 one way.
Avelo is continuing its nonstop service to New Haven, Conn. (HVN) which began June 13. Those flights are Thursdays and Sundays and start at $66 one way.
Tickets are already available for purchase on the airline’s website. The low-cost carrier offers no change or cancellation fees, but does charge for luggage and advance seat selection.
What it means for Lakeland: The expansion adds convenience for local residents. There will be eight destinations that Lakelanders can fly to directly without having to drive to Tampa or Orlando. Flights will be arriving and departing from Lakeland Linder six days a week.
The flights will likely bring more visitors to Lakeland, who will boost the local economy by spending money on hotels, meals and other amenities. The increased connectedness will also help businesses.
It will also create more local jobs.
Job creation: The designation of Lakeland as a “base of operations” means Avelo will keep at least some of its Boeing 737 Next Generation airplanes at Lakeland Linder full-time. Starting in October, Lakeland will be one of only eight bases nationwide.
On Avelo’s updated route map, published Wednesday, bases are designated with the airline’s teal, purple and yellow logo. Lakeland and Orlando are the only bases in Florida.
Airport Executive Director Kris Hallstrand said at least 30 jobs will be created by the expansion:
- Four flight crews of five people each — two pilots and three flight attendants.
- 10 ground services and maintenance workers.
There may also be openings for gate attendants and customer support staff.
“This is the next phase of our journey and walking before we start to run,” said Trevor Yealy, Avelo’s vice president for commercial. “And with the community’s continued support, the opportunity here truly is limitless.”
High satisfaction: Yealy said that, since Avelo began passenger service from Lakeland six weeks ago, it has:
- Carried more than 3,300 customers on 24 flights.
- Sold an average of 95% of seats on every flight.
- Had a 100% completion rate.
- Achieved an 87% on-time rate.
He added that Avelo has a customer satisfaction score of 72. According to CustomerGauge.com, the average score is 27. According to their worldwide rankings, Aeroflot, a Russian airline, had the highest score at 73, with Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines tying for second at 71.
“Typically for airlines, these scores hover around zero or even negative, so the customer response and reaction to the wonderful facility here and the service has been nothing short of remarkable,” Yealy said.
Economic impact: Mayor Bill Mutz was thrilled with the announcement.
“The nice part about this is that it just helps to explode the potential for not having to drive Orlando or Tampa for all of us as we add those time segments into the cost of our travel time,” Mutz said.
Mutz said the business impact of Lakeland Linder International Airport is about $1.5 billion.
“These additional things unlock time- and money-saving opportunities for travelers while boosting the region’s economic activity,” Mutz said. “The growth of passenger air service strengthens our connectivity and the accessibility for not only travelers, but also for businesses that want to work and grow and continue to grow within Lakeland.”
Local reaction: County Commissioner Martha Santiago let out a cheer when San Juan was announced. Response to the announcement on LkldNow’s Facebook page was also overwhelmingly excited.
“Great news! I plan to be on that LAL-ATL route a lot!” wrote Adil R Khan. “No more wasting 4-5 hours round-trip to Orlando or Tampa. Nevermind $100s in parking fees.”
But others were disappointed that their desired destinations were not on the list.
“Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and Research Triangle Park is there, which is comprised of large tech companies including Apple soon,” wrote Steve Varcoe. “I’m both surprised and disappointed Raleigh was not added.”
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I like how Lakeland is referred to Orlando-Lakeland on Avelo’s website even though Google maps shows the two to be at least 50 miles apart.