Avelo Airlines brings direct LA flights to Glacier Park International Airport
TAYLOR INMAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 6 months AGO
Greg Baden, Chief Operating Officer of Avelo Airlines, speaks during a press event announcing the airline’s nonstop service to Los Angeles at Glacier Park International Airport on Tuesday, March 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
REPORTER AND PODCAST HOST Taylor Inman covers Bigfork and the north shore of Flathead Lake for the Bigfork Eagle and the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on local government, community issues and the people who shape life in Northwest Montana. Inman began her journalism career at Murray State University’s public radio newsroom and later reported for WKMS, where her work aired on National Public Radio. In addition to reporting, she hosts and contributes to Daily Inter Lake podcasts including News Now. Her work connects listeners and readers with the stories shaping communities across the Flathead Valley. IMPACT: Taylor’s work expands local journalism through both traditional reporting and digital storytelling. | March 29, 2023 1:00 AM
A new airline is coming to Glacier Park International Airport this summer to offer direct flights to Los Angeles.
Avelo Airlines’ seasonal service will begin on May 22 and operate twice weekly on Monday and Friday. Their one-way fares between Kalispell and LA start at $49 and will utilize Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft.
Glacier Park International Airport Director Rob Ratkowski said LA is their top market.
“Because we’re such a high demand market, we have pretty high airfares compared to some other cities, so we’re excited that airlines like Avelo are interested in Kalispell and bringing low fares to help people move that No. 1 market,” Ratkowski said.
Flights will land at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, which Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy called the “most convenient, travel friendly airport in the LA region.”
“We talk a lot in the airline business about ‘curb to plane’ and ‘plane to curb’ which means your experience getting from the car, to the aircraft and back into your next car is smooth and convenient at the Burbank airport,” Levy said.
The Burbank airport is close to many southern California attractions, such as the beach, Griffith Observatory, the LA Zoo and Beverly Hills.
Avelo serves 41 destinations in 24 states. The airline is setting up shop in many airports similar in size to Glacier Park International Airport. Those include Southern Connecticut’s Tweed-New Haven Airport, Orlando International Airport, the Delaware Valley’s Wilmington Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Since their start in 2021, Avelo has flown more than 15,000 flights.
With the addition of Avelo, Ratkowski said there are now seven airlines that fly out of Glacier Park International Airport. It will join two other seasonal airlines that only operate during the summer, American and Sun Country.
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