Avelo Airlines launched a base of operations at Wilmington International Airport (ILM) on Thursday, making it the first airline to establish a base at the airport.

Officials from ILM and Avelo marked the launch on Thursday alongside Gov. Josh Stein and other local leaders. Avelo will have two planes based at ILM, and the company plans to hire about 50 employees from the Wilmington area.

“When we make this a base today, what that means is that the planes that come and go from here will live here, and they will spend the night here,” said Brian Davis, Avelo’s chief commercial officer. “We’ve created about 50 jobs to support those aircraft, and so those jobs are pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and the customer support team.”

Davis said strong customer demand in the Wilmington area has pushed the airline to increase its nonstop flights at ILM and select the airport for a base of operations. Avelo started service at ILM in June 2022.

Avelo’s first Wilmington-based crew flew from ILM to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and back on Thursday morning, said Courtney Goff, communications manager for Avelo. A second aircraft will be added to the ILM base in June. So far, the airline has hired about 25 of the expected 50 positions, Goff said.

ILM Director Jeff Bourk credited Avelo Airlines with kickstarting the airport’s significant growth in recent years.
“Avelo was the first low-cost carrier here, initially serving Orlando, Baltimore, New Haven,” Bourk said Thursday. “Never could I have dreamed three years later they'd have 14 nonstops out of here, (with) more coming.”

Stein said the base launch is “nothing but positive” for Southeastern North Carolina. He noted that new flights will bring more visitors to Wilmington, who, in turn, will spend money at local businesses. The move could also help draw other airlines and flights to ILM, he said. 

“One thing that's great is when one company shows that a new route or a new airport is successful, it tells other companies, other airlines, ‘Hey, let's up our game in Wilmington,’” Stein said. “Avelo has helped spark a resurgence here in Wilmington. New flights are coming in, not only from Avelo but other airlines as well, and when that happens, we are all the beneficiaries.”

Bourk said ILM currently has 28 nonstop flights, up from nine nonstop destinations just a few years ago. In recent years, the airport has been able to offer less expensive flights to more destinations, which helps keep ILM competitive with other airports.

LeAnn Pierce, vice chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners and a member of the New Hanover County Airport Authority, noted the airport’s growing economic impact on the area.

“To put it mildly, our little airport is not so little anymore, and because of that, our community is reaping the benefits,” Pierce said. “Last year, it is estimated that ILM had more than a $3 billion economic impact, bringing travelers for both business and pleasure.”

Flights to Nashville (BNA) and Boston/Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT) began on Thursday with flights to Rochester, New York (ROC) launching Friday. 

Having a base in Wilmington could make it easier to add flights in the future, according to Bourk. As part of the base launch, Avelo announced four new nonstop flights. The flights, which include Houston (HOU), Washington, D.C.’s Dulles Airport (IAD), Detroit (DTW) and New York/Long Island (ISP), start in June.

Davis said the “sky’s the limit” on Avelo’s future air service growth, but the airline’s priority for Wilmington is launching its base and new flights.

“If we continue to see the positive response that we have,” he said, “then, of course, we'll look at more opportunities.”