Texan start-up Avelo Airlines (XP, Burbank) has announced its first US East Coast base at New Haven, Connecticut with operations from there scheduled to start in 3Q21 to as yet unnamed destinations.

Avelo will invest USD1.2 million into the regional airport to help upgrade and modernise facilities and operations. It will base at least one B737-700 out of the coastal Connecticutian airport whose only scheduled service at present is a 5x weekly flight to Philadelphia International operated by Republic Airways E175s on behalf of American Airlines.

The B737-700s will be the airline's first of the type given its current fleet comprises three B737-800s, the ch-aviation fleets module reveals. Avelo Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Levy told ch-aviation it was premature to provide more details on the aircraft. "We will know exactly which tails will be there in another 60 days. The B737-700s will all be leased," he said.

Avelo will employ more than 100 crew members at New Haven Tweed by the end of 2021, including pilots, flight attendants, customer support personnel, and technicians, most locally hired, the company said.

Avelo’s investment forms part of a USD100 million project for a new terminal and extended runway at New Haven Tweed spearheaded by the airport operator, AvPorts, which will result in the overall creation of up to 11,000 jobs in the area. The airport currently handles about 80,000 passengers annually, according to AvPorts.

"New Haven has enormous potential, and our first East Coast base is great news for Avelo, New Haven, East Haven, and other local communities,” said Levy.

More details about the Avelo base operations, and destinations served by Avelo and New Haven Tweed, would be made available in the coming months.

This will be Avelo’s second base, following its launch from Burbank in California on April 8, 2021.

Avelo currently provides non-stop service between 11 previously un-served destinations across the western United States from Hollywood Burbank Airport. These include Arcata/Eureka, Redmond, Bozeman, Eugene, Grand Junction, Medford, Pasco, Phoenix Williams Gateway, Ogden, Redding Municipal, and Santa Rosa, CA.