Avelo quits Bradley after seeking free rent, losing tax subsidy, ICE protest
WINDSOR LOCKS, Connecticut — Avelo Airlines is suspending its service to Bradley International Airport, the Connecticut Airport Authority announced Thursday.
The move comes three months after a state fuel tax exemption, meant to lure the airline to Connecticut, expired and after protestors picketed Bradley over Avelo's contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"The CAA is disappointed and surprised to learn of Avelo's decision to pull out of Bradley International Airport, particularly its decision to cancel the state's only nonstop service to Montego Bay, Jamaica," the Airport Authority said Thursday in a statement. "The CAA is especially disappointed on behalf of the community, which has fought so hard to secure nonstop service to Jamaica over recent years. The decision to cancel the MBJ route is inexplicable, given the strong ridership, subsidies received, significant airport incentives and community support."
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in September that if the company didn't affirm commitments to the rule of law and public safety, then he would recommend the state end its incentives for the airline, which included exemptions from the state's tax on aviation fuel and discounts on airport expenses. Tong criticized Avelo's work chartering flights for ICE and questioned why the company deserved continued government support for its operations within the state.
Avelo Airlines said Thursday that it's a business decision, revenues from Hartford did not cover expenses.
"Any other insinuation to the contrary is unfortunate, false and uninformed. We remain committed to serving the state of Connecticut through our low fares out of New Haven Tweed airport," wrote Courtney Goff, communications manager.
Avelo Airlines will be exiting Hartford's Bradley International Airport after its last scheduled flight on Jan. 25, 2025.
Bradley expects more than 6.6 million passenger trips each year. Avelo had 31,393 passenger departures and arrivals through July. That's the most recent statistic from the authority.
The authority said Avelo has been doing well. Avelo's Houston route showed 70% passenger occupancy in November when it launched, before spiking to nearly 96% in December. Service stopped in January.
Despite claiming "lack of demand" for the Jamaica route, the route's occupancy showed increasingly strong performance since the flight launched in November, according to the airport.
"The CAA is puzzled why Avelo claims to have been uniquely unsuccessful at BDL, despite those significant advantages and the success enjoyed by many other carriers at the airport during the same timeframe," said spokeswoman Alisa Sisic in a statement. "The cancellation of these services and Avelo's stated reasoning for doing so also continues a disturbing trend of the airline misrepresenting facts and trying to dodge reasonable fees that other airlines pay as a regular course of business."
Avelo recently approached the authority, asking to be relieved of its contractual obligation to pay rent for the remainder of its agreement at Bradley after finishing one year of fully incentivized, rent-free operation at the airport, the authority said.
"The CAA understands Avelo's financial distress and the impacts of public backlash related to its other business decisions, but the CAA cannot relieve Avelo of its financial commitments after investing so much in the airline's success," Sisic said.
The authority said it is committed to once again securing nonstop Jamaica service for its passengers and is already fielding interest from other carriers that would like to explore resuming that service.
Stories by Jim Kinney
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