Avelo Airlines is pulling the plug on its West Coast base at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), effectively ending its presence in the Los Angeles area and bringing its California ambitions to a close.
Avelo Airlines Abandons Burbank Hub, West Coast Operations
In a move that reflects the difficult reality for budget carriers in the USA, Avelo Airlines confirmed it will end all operations out of Burbank-Hollywood Airport (BUR) by early December 2025. This marks a stunning reversal for the low-cost carrier that launched service from BUR in 2021 with the goal of offering affordable fares and hassle-free service from a then underutilized airport.
An Avelo spokesperson explained:
“Over the past few years, Avelo has made several changes to our West Coast operations to improve our financial results. Despite the investment of significant time, resources and efforts, our West Coast operations have not produced the results necessary to continue our presence there.”
Avelo CEO Andrew Levy added:
“This was not an easy decision. We believe the continuation of service from BUR in the current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop.”
That’s quite a reversal for a carrier that had designated BUR as its first base and West Coast hub.
Burbank happens to be my home airport, only 15 minutes away from my house, and so on a personal note it is always sad to see BUR lose service.
> Read More: Avelo 737-800 Inaugural Flight Report
What’s Ending?
All West Coast routes will be shut down, including flights from Burbank to:
- Bay Area / Sonoma, CA – STS
- Bend / Redmond, OR – RDM
- Eugene, OR – EUG
- Eureka / Arcata, CA – ACV
- Kalispell, MT – FCA
- Medford / Rogue Valley, OR – MFR
- Pasco Tri-Cities, WA – PSC
- Portland / Salem, OR – SLE
The last flights will operate on December 1, 2025. After that, Avelo will no longer serve any West Coast destinations.
Shift To East Coast Strategy
Going forward, Avelo will double down on operations from its base in New Haven, Connecticut (HVN), which has seen more consistent growth and stronger financial results. The carrier has hinted at more East Coast expansion and a potential new base coming soon.
Levy added, “We intend to redeploy these BUR aircraft to business areas where we see more efficient, longer-term growth prospects, while also building depth and breadth to our East Coast operation.”
Levy emphasized that this was not a full-scale retreat for the airline: “This is about focusing on our strengths and the routes that are resonating with travelers.”
Avelo also emphasized that the move has nothing to do with its controversy over operating deportation flights on behalf of ICE.
> Read More: Avelo Covers Livery On Aircraft Used For ICE Deportation Flights
> Read More: Avelo Airlines Sued By Aviation Blogger Turned Pol Over Billboards Attacking ICE Deportation Flights
CONCLUSION
While Avelo’s exit from Burbank will surely disappoint budget-conscious travelers in Southern California, the writing may have been on the wall for some time. Load factors were middling, and even after expanding to more than a dozen destinations, the airline struggled to gain traction in a highly competitive market dominated.
In the end, Burbank proved to be nothing but a launchpad for Avelo. As the carrier shifts to an East Coast-centric strategy, time will tell whether retreating from the West is a necessary step or a sign of deeper issues to come.
If people are boycotting Avelo for its deportation flights then they should fly according to their political party of choice. Back in the days of the Civil Aeronautics Board, American Airlines was clearly Democrat and awarded routes by Democratic presidential administrations. Continental (now United) was clearly Republican.
Haha. Good I hope they shut down for good.
Why? Even if you never fly them, more competition is good (for consumers)
Could be the size of the jet (B737) is too large for the routes in question.
As an example, Breeze appears to be doing well with similar sized markets, but utilizing A220 jets.
Agreed that 737-800 was a bit large.
I understand that many people consider BUR convenient, but not all do, and it’s also just not as well known to those outside of LA. It seems like Avelo should have followed the Ryanair mantra, “People will fly from somewhere to nowhere, or nowhere to somewhere, but they won’t fly from nowhere to nowhere.” Avelo’s West Coast map was all routes from nowhere to nowhere.
I was rooting for this carrier to succeed, but I recognize your point…the demand to fill up a large plane in a one-cabin config simply wasn’t there.
In the east, Avelo flies from populated areas in New England to large destinations. Based on the route map out of Burbank, that’s just not what they were doing there.
Question for you, Matthew. With Avelo having a hub 15 minutes from your house, have you ever flown them?
BUR to Sonoma..bummer