Avelo Airlines’ Lowest-Performing Routes of 2024 Revealed – Load Factors as Low as 20%
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Avelo Airlines, the ultra-low-cost carrier that began operations in April 2021, continues to experiment aggressively with underserved and unserved city pairs across the U.S. According to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Avelo carried 2.4 million passengers in 2024 across more than 100 routes, achieving a network-wide average load factor of 75%. However, a number of underperforming routes fell significantly below this average—with some reporting load factors as low as 20%.
Low Load Factors on Niche and Experimental Routes
Budget carriers frequently explore niche markets and secondary airports as part of their growth model, but not all routes perform as expected. In 2024, Avelo experienced major challenges on several of these experimental routes. Below are the ten lowest-performing routes in terms of seat load factor, based on DOT-reported data:
| Route | 2024 Load Factor | Service Period | Round-Trip Passengers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa (STS) – Tri-Cities (PSC) | 20% | May–June 2024 | 705 | Discontinued |
| Orlando (MCO) – Mobile International (BFM) | 41% | May 2023–March 2024 | 2,600 | Discontinued |
| Santa Rosa (STS) – Salem (SLE) | 46% | May–September 2024 | 4,900 | Discontinued |
| Burbank (BUR) – Brownsville (BRO) | 46% | May 2023–August 2024 | 5,900 | Discontinued |
| Santa Rosa (STS) – Redmond (RDM) | 48% | Since June 2023 | 14,700 | Still Operating |
| Santa Rosa (STS) – Kalispell (FCA) | 50% | Since May 2024 | 6,500 | Still Operating |
| Burbank (BUR) – Las Vegas (LAS) | 52% | February–November 2024 | 9,200 | Discontinued |
| Orlando (MCO) – Brownsville (BRO) | 52% | May 2023–August 2024 | 10,400 | Discontinued |
| Lakeland (LAL) – Atlanta (ATL) | 52% | November 2024–January 2025 | 3,200 | Discontinued |
| Santa Rosa (STS) – Ontario (ONT) | 53% | October 2024–March 2025 | 3,700 | Discontinued |
Notably, five of the ten lowest-performing routes involved Santa Rosa (STS), a market Avelo initially entered in May 2021 and opened as a base in May 2024. However, the base has since been closed, and future flights will operate with non-based aircraft. Additional Santa Rosa routes such as Boise (71% load) and Salt Lake City (60%) are also scheduled to end in 2025.
Best-Performing Route: Tweed-New Haven to Atlanta
At the other end of the performance spectrum, Tweed-New Haven (HVN) to Atlanta (ATL) stood out as Avelo’s best-performing route in 2024, achieving a load factor of 86%. The 715-nautical-mile route, introduced in May 2024, quickly ramped up from four weekly flights to daily service in 2025. With 43,900 round-trip passengers, it was the airline’s 16th most-trafficked airport pair.
Airport-Level Load Factor Trends
Across its 61 served airports in 2024, Avelo achieved at least a 75% load factor at 20 airports. Atlanta (ATL) ranked first, primarily due to the strong performance of the Tweed-New Haven route. However, its average was offset by underwhelming results from Lakeland (52%) and Wilmington, DE (66%), both of which have since been dropped.
Avelo’s approach, focusing on underserved markets and secondary airports, results in high route turnover. While that allows flexibility and quick pivots away from poor-performing routes, it also means frequent adjustments to schedules and networks as the airline fine-tunes its strategy.
Bottom Line
Avelo Airlines saw load factors ranging from 20% to 86% across its 2024 network of over 100 routes. While routes like Santa Rosa to Tri-Cities and Orlando to Mobile severely underperformed and were dropped, others like Tweed-New Haven to Atlanta exceeded expectations and expanded. As Avelo continues to grow and refine its route network, performance data like this illustrates the airline’s ongoing balance between bold market entry and operational sustainability.
