Houston-based Avelo Airlines has announced it will end service from the Capital Region International Airport in Lansing to Orlando. The decision marks the end of the service that started in 2022 and, at one point, featured two flights each week during the colder months. The service performed well enough that it led to the addition of flights to Fort Myers later in the fall.
Earlier this year, Capital Region Airport Authority President and CEO Nicole Noll-Williams said Orlando was the No. 1 destination from the Lansing area. However, Avelo’s revised schedule of flights through January 2025 on its website lists Lansing no longer as one of its departure cities. The move is part of sweeping service cuts by Avelo, which also is discontinuing flights to several other cities in addition to Lansing, including Redding, California, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Dubuque, Iowa, Mosinee, Wisconsin, Broome County, New York, and Brownsville, Texas.
Jim Olson, senior vice president of brand and communications for Avelo, said that the decision came after deeming the route unprofitable. ‘Unfortunately, the LAN-MCO route was not profitable, and we do not expect it to be within a reasonable time horizon,’ Olson said. He added that every Avelo route it operates must be profitable or trending in that direction. Despite doing a thorough analysis before committing to new routes, some, such as Lansing, do not pan out as projected.
Still, Nicole Noll-Williams said this is just a minor step back for the airport. She said Breeze Airways will be announcing nonstop service to Orlando (MCO) and Fort Myers (RSW) from Lansing to help fill in some of the void left by Avelo’s departure. She added she would be open to working with Avelo’s leadership team on possible future opportunities.
“This is really disappointing news,” said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. “However, with this centralized location, and convenience for the entire region, I feel that strong leadership exists and they will be able drive to continue to find new carriers, and keep a fair number of options available for the flying public in the Capital region.”.
The airport is full of other services. Apple Vacations recently announced that it is returning to the Capital Region International Airport. Flights will also begin in January 2024. They will head to tropical destinations such as Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic; and Montego Bay, Jamaica. However, they will be seasonal, from January 25 to April 9.
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Also, the airport has been able to sustain services provided by major carriers Delta and American Airlines. Finally, adding to another shot in the arm of the airport’s service portfolio, newer carrier Breeze Airline from Salt Lake City, Utah, recently in March announced it too would initiate service, flying to Orlando and Fort Myers, Florida, in October 2023.
This development further gave an example of why airlines find it difficult to have a profitable route, even more so within small markets. This condition also explains how regional airports like Lansing’s Capital Region International continuously adapt to changes, meeting the needs of their communities.