It was a quick trip to Newport News for Avelo Airlines. The low-cost carrier is leaving Newport News-Williamsburg Airport after just four months.
“We have decided to end service at Newport News effective April 17. The last flights out of PHF will be Sunday, April 16. Unfortunately, PHF has not been generating the demand we expected and has been underperforming in future bookings. This was not the outcome we envisioned when Avelo took flight at PHF last fall. All Customers who have tickets booked past April 17 will be automatically refunded and we are in the process of notifying Customers about this news,” Courtney Goff, Communications Manager for Avelo, wrote in an email to VA Peninsula Media.
The airline flew in with much fanfare on Oct. 20, 2022. Flights were three times a week to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla. It was reduced to two times a week. This problem for the airport follows the dismissal of Airport Executive Director Michael Giardino just last week.
The only commercial airline at the airport is American Airlines. Delta Airlines left during the height of the pandemic and never returned.
The airport is under managed. There’s no reason for there to be only one airline. Maybe an entire new Airport Commission needs to be appointed with people that are qualified to make decisions!! There is no reason to lose business to Norfolk or Richmond This is sad, very sad.