Avero Airlines will permanently end service from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on January 9th. It was first reported Daytona Beach News Journal.
The route will run until Jan. 8, and Avero has notified customers who booked after that date, spokeswoman Courtney Goff said. The airline plans to refund or redirect those customers to Avero flights from Fort Myers to Raleigh-Durham.
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The cancellation also involves the elimination of several other flights, including the permanent closure of Avero flights to Melbourne and the temporary suspension of service from Daytona Beach to Wilmington Airport in the Philadelphia area.
Goff said the airline plans to cut back on these routes due to low bookings.
“Unfortunately, this route has not generated as much demand as we had hoped, and future bookings have been weak,” Goff wrote in an email.
SRQ Chief of Staff Mark Stuckey said a number of factors were preventing the aircraft from operating. Because Avero is a new airline, it doesn’t have the brand recognition of larger airlines like Delta or Southwest Airlines, he said. And while Raleigh-Durham is a drivable nine-hour drive, Stuckey said the route is less popular among customers.
Similar flight canceled
Stuckey said SRQ saw similar results on Allegiant flights to North Carolina’s Concord Paget Regional Airport and Knoxville’s McGee Tyson Airport, which were also canceled due to low bookings.
“If you’re in a driveable market where you can get up in the morning and leave the house at 6 a.m. and get here by 5 p.m. in time for dinner, those markets seem to be a little more difficult,” Stuckey said.
Sarasota Bradenton Airport continues to expand
Avero route cancellation comes as SRQ increases rapidly. In September, the airport reported that more than 4.2 million passengers passed through the airport in the 12-month period, an increase of 13% compared to the same period last year.of the airport $73 million expansion projectIt is planned to be a new terminal, and construction began in March.
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Founded in 2021, Avero is an affordable airline that only offers nonstop flights from 23 states and Puerto Rico. SRQ first began service to New Haven in January, and has since added service to Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington.
Stuckey said SRQ is keen to work with up-and-coming airlines serving new destinations. The airport will offer Avero a “2-year free flight on SRQ” incentive package that waives airline landing fees, gate fees, and terminal fees when the airline first begins service from Sarasota. did.
Raleigh-Durham service will be suspended indefinitely, but Stuckey said there is no chance it will return. Whether your flight is on the Avero route or another airline, SRQ has the route on its radar.
“Raleigh-Durham remains a strong market,” Stuckey said. “We think it will come back in the future, but right now we don’t know when.”
Contact Herald Tribune growth and development reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013.