Most airlines struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, but two newbies are courageously considering entering the U.S. market in the coming months.
Avelo Airlines announced Thursday that it will start flying later in April to 11 destinations from its Burbank hub, California.
He currently has three Boeing 737 jets but plans to expand its fleet and add more routes in the western United States.
Avelo was founded by airline executive Andrew Levy, who claims that while the United States has a number of low cost airlines, there is room in the market for another.
Mr. Levy told CNBC: “We see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s coming soon.
“We’re in a great place to start here and more importantly to be up and running for the peak summer season, which should be good.”
The second largest airline is Breeze Airways, which has its eye on “neglected, forgotten” markets, including those abandoned by major airlines, according to regulatory filings reported by The Associated Press.
Breeze is a creation of David Neeleman, who helped Canada’s WestJet take off before launching JetBlue Airways and Brazilian airline Azul.
It is currently running test flights (simulated commercial flights) for the Federal Aviation Administration, but is expected to announce its routes and fares as early as next week.
David Neeleman is the man behind Breeze Airways. Pic: AP
Mr Neeleman, who owns 36% of the airline according to a filing in September, previously said Breeze would be “the most beautiful airline in the world”.
Passengers could be invited on board as early as May.
Both airlines were in the planning stage before the coronavirus the pandemic struck early last year.
Their entry into the market comes as more than a million Americans fly every day, although health officials have warned that travel could spread the virus.
Demand, currently strongest for domestic and international short-haul travel, is expected to increase in the summer as more people get vaccinated.
At the end of March, American Airlines said bookings had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels – and other airlines, including Delta and Southwest, previously said bookings had started to increase in February.
