Dubuque Airport Confirms Avelo Airlines Flights Won’t Return This Year

Merely a little over a year after they announced expanded flights to Las Vegas, and roughly seven months after they paused flights to Orlando, Dubuque's only airline has informed the Regional Airport that Dubuque will not be included in their flight schedule for the remainder of 2024.

Avelo Airlines made a splash in Dubuque in 2023, offering cheap airfare to Orlando, FL from the Dubuque Regional Airport. This came after American Airlines ceased its service in Dubuque, leaving Tri-Staters with Cedar Rapids, Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago as some of the only reasonable options for air-travel.

However, a little over a year after they had liftoff in Dubuque, Avelo is now grounded for the remainder of the year.

After pausing flights to Orlando earlier this year, Avelo Airlines had planned to resume direct flights to Florida in November, but said that aircraft availability and increasing costs at Orlando International Airport factored into their decision not to return, per a press release from the City of Dubuque.

Avelo also stopped flights to Orlando in five other airports it serves, including:

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• Kalamazoo/Battle Creek (AZO)
• Greater Binghamton (BGM)
• Brownsville/South Padre (BRO)
• Central Wisconsin (CWA)
• Central Region/Lansing (LAN)

Dubuque Regional Airport Manager Todd Dalsing expressed disappointment with Avelo's decision, especially considering that flights to Orlando had load factors of 80-90% during peak travel times:

The Orlando flights Avelo offered were very popular, running very strong load factors during core travel periods. Passengers reported positive flights and passenger experiences at the airport were well-received. - Todd Dalsing, per a press release from the City of Dubuque

In June 2023, Avelo Airlines announced that it was expanding its service from Dubuque Regional Airport with nonstop flights to Las Vegas, NV.  Introductory one-way fares between DBQ and Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) started at $69. Flights to Las Vegas were suspended in November later that same year.

Two months later, Avelo announced it was suspending flights to Orlando in Dubuque. Presently, there is no active airliner for the Dubuque Regional Airport.

Dalsing added that conversations with Avelo regarding service in 2025 are ongoing as well as discussions with other airlines/destinations at the Dubuque Regional Airport. No less, this is bitterly sad news for Dubuquers and Tri-Staters as a whole.