Lakeland Linder International Airport will begin offering passenger airline service in 2024, pending City Commission approval, Airport Director Kris Hallstrand announced Wednesday.
Avelo Airlines plans to operate flights in and out of Lakeland starting as soon as May or June. Their service could eventually reach five flights a day.
“Our airport has been waiting for a long time to welcome air service back to Lakeland,” Hallstrand said. Assistant Airport Director “Adam Lunn and myself have been working very hard to make sure that we can find the right partner for our community to fly commercial service out of the airport.”
Hallstrand said the airport needs to do about $3.4 million worth of upgrades — with an emphasis on security check stations and plane and car parking, along with a maintenance area for Avelo — before service can begin. The renovations will be funded with a loan from the city, with work set to begin on Monday and be complete by May.
“We think this is a great opportunity for our community and for the airport to be able to provide service to some of our folks here here in the local area,” Hallstrand said. “We are pinning down all of the needed items for that to happen — it’s not just, ‘So, flip the switch and away you go.'”
Hallstrand said once the proper Transportation Security Administration (TSA) conditions are met, passenger service can begin.
Hallstrand said the airport and Avelo have come to an agreement that no flights will come or go during the afternoon and evening shows of Sun ‘n Fun Fly In, the nation’s second-largest air show and the largest annual event for Lakeland.
She added that the destinations from Lakeland are up to Avelo and have not been announced yet.
“Their goal is to provide a reasonable, affordable mode of travel to destinations across the country,” Hallstrand said. “They usually fly to what we call secondary markets.”
Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff said the company is excited to work in Lakeland.
“In the months ahead, we’ll share more details about our plans for serving Lakeland,” Goff said. “We are thankful for the enthusiastic support Avelo has received from the Lakeland community, as well as from city and county leaders. We are especially appreciative of the dedicated professionals at the Lakeland Linder International Airport.”
Avelo Airlines focuses on smaller airports
The fast-growing, low-cost airline was launched in 2021 — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — with a goal of making air travel more “convenient, affordable and reliable.”
Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy told the Los Angeles Daily News that the timing was actually good for the airline because the pandemic forced big carriers to pull back and focus on their hubs, leaving openings at smaller airports.
Part of Avelo’s business model is to focus on smaller, secondary airports and emphasize recreational destinations. On its website, Avelo explains: “Because we travel to smaller, more convenient airports, you can expect a smoother, more caring travel experience.”
Levy’s strategy appears to be paying off. Avelo more than doubled the number of destinations it serves in its first year, going from 12 to 27. It now has a presence in 45 cities — everywhere from Arcata, Calif., to Yellowstone, Mont.
Avelo currently offers direct flights from Tampa and Orlando to 11 cities.
The airline’s fleet includes Boeing 737-700s, which can seat 147 passengers, and Boeing 737-800s, with a capacity of 189.
The City Commission will hear about the proposed agreement at Friday morning’s agenda study and then vote on it at Monday morning’s City Commission meeting. The proposal includes:
- The operating agreement with Avelo would take effect on May 1 and is for 15 years.
- The city will spend up to $30,000 a year in marketing support for the passenger service, as an incentive. It will also partner with the county to put tourism information and a visitor information desk in the terminal building.
- Avelo will operate out of temporary prefabricated maintenance and operations offices and storage buildings until permanent offices and maintenance facilities are built.
- HDR Engineering, Inc. will prepare architectural design plans for terminal modifications and site improvements at the airport, and see the project through the permitting process, at a cost of $93,150.
- Terminal renovation work is slated to start on Monday after the agreement is signed. Johnson Laux Construction will do about $1.6 million of upgrades, including hold room seating, checkpoints and improving rental car offices.
- One-way exit lanes for disembarking passengers and secure areas for screened travelers, for a cost of $95,000 and be installed by Dormakaba USA by March 31.
Pros and cons of low-cost service
Avelo advertises discounted one-way fares starting as low as $59 on several popular routes, although prices vary based on demand. The price for a Dec. 30–Jan. 2 roundtrip flight between Orlando and New Haven, Conn., was about $303. The same flight in February was $113.
The airline does not charge change or cancellation fees and prides itself on its reliability performance. Just under the flight selection screen on its booking page, it states that its on-time performance for November was 87.2%, ranking it third in the industry. For all of 2023, it was 83.3%, making it number one in the industry.
However, as an ultra low-cost carrier, very little is included in the price. There are optional, a la carte charges for everything from carry-on bags to seat assignments. Bag prices vary depending on travel date.
One travel blogger’s review of the bare-bones airline listed several things travelers should know before booking a flight with Avelo:
- They don’t fly everywhere.
- They don’t fly some routes every day.
- They charge a la carte for everything, including luggage, seat assignments and sitting with your travel partner.
- Fares are flexible and you can use any cancelled ticket costs for an airline credit. You can also receive a full refund if your flight is seven days or more out, per federal law.
- Carry-on baggage is small.
- The check-in process can be clunky, with the website not loading (LkldNow also noticed this) and the app not working smoothly.
- Seating is tight and seats are uncomfortable.
- Bring your own snacks and water.
- Staff are friendly.
- A lot of families with children are flying Avelo.
History
Passenger service to Lakeland Linder International Airport has been years in the making. Former Airport Director Gene Conrad had been in talks with American Airlines and had negotiated a deal with the charter company Legends to fly weekend routes to Key West, but that service stopped about 18 months ago because of poor usage.
Lakeland Linder began its life in 1940 as a second airport to serve the community, following Lodwick Field in what is now Tigertown. “Airport No. 2” was located in the rural countryside, out beyond almost all homes, surrounded by cattle pastures and farmland. It became Drane Field the following year, named in honor of Lakeland pioneer Herbert Drane. The U.S. War Department took over the project after 1941, paving three runways into a star shape and renaming it in 1942 to Lakeland Army Air Field. U.S. Army Air Force pilots trained here in B-26 Marauders before heading to North Africa during WWII.
In the late 1950s, the city began phasing out Lodwick Air Field and concentrating its efforts on the neglected Drane Field. It was repaired and rededicated as Lakeland Municipal Airport in 1960. In the 1970s, it was renamed again to Lakeland Regional Airport.
Piper Aircraft opened a manufacturing division at Lakeland Regional in 1972, employing up to 2,200 people in a 710,000-square-foot facility at the airport. After the sale of the company and price slashes, Piper went out of business. In 1991 the Lakeland factory was sold and closed.
In the late 1980s, it was dubbed Lakeland Linder Regional Airport for local businessman Paul Scott Linder.
The last name change occurred in November 2017, when Lakeland Linder International Airport opened its first U.S. Customs and Border Protection General Aviation Facility, allowing international aircraft with 20 passengers or fewer to land at the field with an approved overflight permit.
The last decade heralded a new age for Lakeland Linder, with the addition of Draken International’s headquarters, a fixed base for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft and Amazon cargo service. And it continues to grow, on target to have more than 150,000 flight operations this year. A new 10,000-square-foot hangar being built already has two tenants.
Over the past year the City Commission has approved more than $2.2 million in upgrades, new equipment and repairs.
A study of airport usage shows Lakeland Linder has been ripe for a commercial carrier for several years.
The study showed people living within the area Lakeland Linder will serve generated more than 1.6 million passengers in 2021 — an average of 2,215 passengers per day or enough passengers to fill 29 76-seat regional jet departures daily. A majority of local residents currently travel to Tampa or Orlando to catch flights:
- Tampa International Airport — 56.5%
- Orlando International Airport — 34.2%
- St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport — 7.3%
- And Orlando/Sanford International Airport — 2.1%
“While we know not all 1.6 million passengers in our catchment area will choose (Lakeland Linder), there is a large enough demand for air service that (it) presents an attractive secondary market for airlines seeking to access the central Florida region, while also serving our community’s travel needs,” the airport’s website says.
Hallstrand said Wednesday that a previously discussed $2 million revenue guarantee the city and county would have paid to an airline to ensure they didn’t lose money was no longer on the table with Avelo.
“I’m looking for that true partner that believes in our community,” Hallstrand said.
Instead, she said the airport is going to wave terminal use, landing, and fuel fees for two years if Avelo performs in accordance with the Lakeland Linder agreement.
“So that is something that we do to incentivize the airline and help them set up to succeed,” Hallstrand said. “It takes time to build a business, right? The community needs to understand the airline. The airline, in turn, needs to understand the community and that takes time to do so. This gives the airline an opportunity to work at zero cost with no risk of paying fees to the airport to establish their airline in this community.”
The airport will charge fees to Uber and Lyft drivers and increase fees for car rentals, just like Tampa and Orlando International airports do. In addition, gates will be installed in the parking lot and airport guests will be charged a fee after four hours. Those visiting the airport for fewer than four hours, for instance those dining at Waco, can still park for free.
Hallstrand said they will be working with the Department of Transportation to develop a terminal master plan, much as they did with the airport in the last few years. That will help Hallstrand determine if other construction needs to be met, such as a parking garage. She said they don’t want to make improvements, only to have to tear them out and start over several years from now.
Noise complaints
With the addition of Amazon, the airport began getting noise complaints, with 737s flying low over people’s homes as they approached the runway.
The airport recently held a public presentation of new flight paths proposed to the Federal Aviation Administration that officials hope will lessen some of the engine noise. The plan would shift the main flight path to follow the Polk Parkway until about Cleveland Heights Boulevard, when aircraft would begin to move south to line up with the east-west runway.
Hallstrand said Wednesday that she has spoken to Avelo and was assured they would follow that flight plan, particularly after it is approved by the FAA. That approval is expected to come next month by the agency, which controls flight paths.
Jay Mayhew commented on LkldNow’s Facebook page Wednesday evening: “Awesome..now I get to experience even more planes coming in over my house.” He concluded his comment with an expletive acronym.
Popular opinion
The overwhelming majority of comments on LkldNow’s Facebook page after the news was announced was positive.
Maggie Sanders Miller, a career advisor, says she often has to travel for her job.
“I fly for work and refuse to fly out of Orlando,” Miller said. “The concern flying out of Tampa is always high due to unknown traffic complications. Recently I had the pleasure of driving my husband to (Lakeland) Linder for a private jet trip to Omaha. I just sat in the lot after he left dreaming for that to be a reality. Wow!”
Tonya Vives Lockamy: “My husband has flown Avelo a few times to Wilmington and was pleasantly surprised.”
Al Hargadon simply wrote, “Game CHANGER”.
Lisa Bontrager: “This airline, while small, is just the 1st. Lakeland Linder International Airport is playing the long game, this is an investment in our community and future Lakeland air travel opportunities.”
Erek Hart said he welcomes the airline.
“It would be nice to not have to deal with Tampa or Orlando and can easily get a ride there instead of having to pay for parking,” Hart said.
But Margaret Marie commented that it “is a poor cost/benefit analysis. The exorbitant costs for a few flights just doesn’t seem worth it. If it were a Delta, American etc that might lead to higher numbers of flights, it might be worth it.”
Monday’s City Commission agenda shows six items pertaining to the airline agreement and airport modifications under the city attorney’s purview. Commissioners will be asked to approve the items.
The public can speak on the issue. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at City Hall, 228 S Massachusetts Ave.
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Would love a Lakeland to Raleigh, NC connection since Raleigh has a hub, and nearby airports don’t go there.
What’s positive about this airline? I don’t see the advantages. Did those that responded positive to your Facebook age actually travel much? I don’t see many normal destinations. Far from major cities if you have to transfer planes. Do we have that many people living here in Lakeland that come from those cities? I flew on no frills Spirit very similar to Avelo and will never fly it again or any other airlines. It was horrible. If you have to pay for everything you want that you mentioned above in the article pros-cons I would rather fly the larger carrier and fly in comfort for a few dollars more. The cost of extras on no frills airline adds up in a hurry. Lakeland spending 3.5 million to support an airline that really doesn’t go to many convenient cities in my opinion is a waste of taxpayers dollars.
Agree 100%!! There are 0 destinations offered and what a waste of our money.
Great idea … with a looming recession.
It would fly into Mid America Airport Belleville IL. We are differently Midwest. 30 mins from Lambert International airport st.louis mo. 5 minutes from Scott Airforce Airport.
I like having an airline right in Lakeland and not having to travel to Orland or Tampa. But, having to pay for everything does not seem to be of any advantage for us. I mean having to pay for bags, carry-on, water and a tiny bag of chips is incredible. Sounds like AVELO is somewhat stingy. Does not match up to Jetblue or Southwest