A new airline is coming to the Dayton International Airport — the airport's fifth airline — at a time when Ohio has seen a reduction in air service over the past several years.
Avelo airlines, based out of Houston, Texas, will offer nonstop, low fare flights on Boeing 737 jets from the Dayton airport to Orlando International Airport.
It’s the first new airline in Dayton since Allegiant Airlines joined the airport eight years ago.
The new airline comes at a time when Ohio has lost more airline capacity than all other surrounding states over the past 20 years, according to JobsOhio, the state's private development arm.
That’s why the agency is investing in programs to bring airlines like these to Ohio through its Air Service Restoration Program. The program aims to serve smaller airline markets across the state.
Terri Slaybaugh, vice president of sites and infrastructure at JobsOhio, said the program guarantees minimum revenue in the case the airline doesn’t meet revenue expectations in the first few months it begins operation at an airport.
“We will guarantee a minimum amount of revenue for the airline to come in and start service in the market,” Slaybaugh said. “So really an economic development tool and really make sure that they're successful when they come into the marketplace.”
The idea is JobsOhio will make up the airline's revenue if it falls below expectations within the first year to reduce the airline's risk of entering a new market, Slaybaugh added.
Travis Crist, the head of marketing at Avelo, said this is a much needed service in smaller, regional airports.
“These are vibrant communities that are thriving. But for whatever reasons, the way the airline industry has evolved, they really haven't received much service or much low fare service. And so we try to kind of look for those little niches,” Crist said.
Avelo acknowledges the impact of pilot shortages across industry. Crist said they’ve raised wage rates and are actively recruiting new pilots.
Avelo will begin making flights out of Dayton January of 2023.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms
