Avelo to add S.C. route to Tweed lineup

NEW HAVEN — Ready to head to the South Carolina Upcountry? Avelo Airlines is ready to take you there.

Avelo, the upstart airline that put Tweed New Haven Regional Airport back on a route map, will twice-weekly service from New Haven to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport on June 22, the airline announced Thursday.

It will be Avelo’s first new service addition to and from Tweed since beginning service to Wilmington, N.C., last June 30 — and will be the start-up airline’s 15th nonstop destination from Tweed, one of Avelo’s East Coast bases. Introductory fares begin at $49 and can be booked at AveloAir.com.

“We are excited to add our 15th destination from Tweed,” said Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy in a release. “The addition of Greenville-Spartanburg represents the continued momentum and growth we are experiencing at our HVN base.

“South Carolina’s Upcountry offers Connecticut a vibrant vacation destination in the foothills of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains,” Levy said. “As the only airline offering nonstop service from Connecticut to GSP, accessing all the beauty, hospitality and history of this region is now easier than ever.”

Greenville and Spartanburg are in northwest South Carolina. The airport (GSP) is located roughly between the two cities, about an hour and 15 minutes south of Asheville, N.C., an hour and 40 minutes from Charlotte, N.C., and just over 2-1/2 hours from Atlanta.

“We are glad to see Avelo continuing to serve the residents of southern Connecticut and continue to provide career opportunities,” said Tom Rafter, executive director of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, in a text. “HVN is a convenient alternative and we’re happy to have great partners.”

Michael Jones, CEO of The New HVN LLC, the subsidiary of Goldman Sachs-owned Avports LLC which operates Tweed for the city under a 43-year lease approved in August of 2022, said, “It’s exciting to see Avelo succeed. The continued success of Avelo at HVN is a win for the community.

“Greenville is a must-visit city with a beautiful downtown at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Jones said. “The connectivity to GSP provides regional access to the metro Charlotte and Atlanta markets for our area.”

Avelo spokesman Jim Olson said Avelo’s existing destinations both in North Carolina and South Carolina “have been well received by our Connecticut customers. Greenville-Spartanburg will build on that foundation.

“The Upcountry is a very popular vacation destination — lots of great outdoor activities, as well as nice hotels, shopping and restaurants,” Olson said. “It makes for a fun long weekend getaway or week-long vacation.”

Avelo currently is the only airline that serves Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, which is owned by the city of New Haven and located half in New Haven and half in East Haven.

The new route will join Avelo’s existing service to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and SarasotaBradenton, all in Florida; Chicago’s Midway International Airport; Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport; Nashville; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Wilmington, N.C., Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Savannah, GA-Hilton Head, S.C.

The additional air service comes as Tweed is in the process of seeking FAA approval to extend its runway from 5,600 feet to 6,575 feet and build a new 80,000-square-foot, four-gate terminal on the East Haven side of the airport. A new airport entrance would be off Proto Drive in East Haven, with access off the town’s Coe Avenue.

The proposal has spawned opposition from some neighbors both in New Haven and East Haven, as well as Branford and elsewhere.

A required environmental assessment was released March 2. The Tweed New Haven Airport Authority will hold a public information workshop and hearing at East Haven High School on April 1. It will begin with an “open house” question-and-answer session from 1o a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a more formal hearing from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

East Haven Mayor Joe Carfora said of the new service, “Given the situation with the EA, I’m going to reserve comment about any additional Avelo destinations.”

Avelo, which began flying on April 28, 2021, has flown more than 1.8 million passengers on more than 15,000 flights since then. It began serving Tweed in November, 2021 and currently serves a total of 37 destinations on Boeing NextGeneration 737 aircraft from five bases at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Burbank Airport, Tweed, Orlando, Wilmington, Del., and Raleigh-Durham International Airport.