“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 Airlines Retreats From Burbank, Abandons West Coast Operations
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:
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.