U.S. startup Avelo Airlines is adding a second Boeing 737NG aircraft to its base at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina, enabling three new routes to be launched.

Avelo opened the base in February, kicking off service by commencing a 4X-weekly route to Orlando (MCO). With the exception of Orlando, where the airline trains pilots and flight attendants, Avelo’s bases are at second-tier U.S. airports, part of a deliberate strategy.

With the new aircraft, Avelo will launch flights between RDU and Memphis (MEM) in Tennessee from June 14. On the same date, it will commence service between RDU and Rochester (ROC) in New York state. From June 21, the carrier will open flights between RDU and Manchester (MHT) in New Hampshire.  

All three routes will be flown 2X-weekly and all are exclusive to Avelo. By June 21, Avelo will serve 40 domestic destinations across 23 states after starting operations from scratch in April 2021.

The first aircraft based by Avelo at RDU was a 737-700. The second will be a 737-800.

“The addition of these three new routes expands Avelo’s U.S. network to 40 destinations spanning nearly half of the country,” Avelo CEO Andrew Levy says. “The addition of a second aircraft to our RDU base grows Avelo’s service from the Research Triangle [home to multiple major research universities] to 10 popular nonstop destinations. We are very encouraged by the momentum Avelo is experiencing in Raleigh-Durham.”

Avelo notes it has hired approximately 50 RDU-based employees, including pilots, flight attendants and customer service workers. The airline expects to hire at least 35 more RDU-based personnel in line with the expansion.