Discount airline cuts Boise flight to Southern California, bolsters a different route
Air travelers in the Treasure Valley now have one fewer option to get to Southern California after discount air carrier Avelo Airlines dropped its flight between Boise and Hollywood Burbank Airport.
After almost two and a half years, the airline cut the route to its hub in Los Angeles County, an Avelo spokesperson told the Idaho Statesman. The airline’s last nonstop flight between Boise and Burbank was Nov. 4, airport officials said.
Quickly after Avelo launched service in Boise in May 2022 and started the new route to Burbank, Alaska Airlines did, too, to compete directly for passengers. Southwest Airlines joined the mix this June, making daily nonstop flights on the same route.
Overall, air carriers at the local air hub take travelers nonstop to five different Southern California cities, including Burbank. Southwest also recently discontinued a sixth to Long Beach.
“Ultimately, there were so many flights that demand on Avelo wasn’t enough to keep the route going,” Courtney Goff, the airline spokesperson, said by email. She declined to provide details about passenger totals that led to the airline cutting the Burbank route.
Before Southwest started offering the Burbank flight, Avelo officials previously told the Statesman that the airline was averaging above 75% capacity on their 189-passenger planes. In June, Avelo averaged 85% capacity, U.S. Department of Transportation passenger data showed.
Increased competition led to more open seats for Avelo and its decision to suspend the route, Goff said.
Avelo’s online booking calendar extends until Labor Day 2025. The airline is unlikely to restore the Burbank flight in Boise next year, but does hope to bring it back in the future, Goff said.
However, Avelo is not leaving the Boise market. The airline doubled down on its nonstop flight between Boise and Sonoma County in Northern California, just outside Santa Rosa. Since launching the route this May, it has operated as a twice-weekly seasonal flight, but is now a year-round route.
The flight averaged about 75% capacity for the summer months, according to U.S. Department of Transportation passenger data.
Boise Airport officials said they were excited to see Avelo upgrade the Santa Rosa flight to a year-round travel option.
“This incredible destination offers something for everyone — world-class wineries, exceptional dining and breathtaking outdoor adventures,” Shawna Samuelson, airport spokesperson, said in an email to the Statesman. “Thanks to the strong community support for this route, convenient access to Sonoma County’s unique attractions is now available any time of year.”
On Thursday, Alaska also launches two new flights in Boise: to Bozeman, Montana, and to Orange County, California. A winter seasonal nonstop flight to Orlando also starts Jan. 7.
The new additions bring the Boise Airport up to nonstop flights to 27 different U.S. cities.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 4:06 PM.
