Budget airlines Avelo and Breeze will soon compete on flights between RDU and Florida
Start-up airlines Avelo and Breeze have each aggressively courted travelers from Raleigh-Durham International Airport in the past year, offering nonstop flights at bargain prices to two dozen destinations between them.
But the low-cost carriers have not competed directly. That’s starting to change with service to Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Last month, Breeze Airways said it would begin flying between RDU and Tampa starting Sept. 7. Avelo Airlines began flying to Tampa from the Triangle last winter.
And Tuesday, Breeze announced it will begin flying between RDU and Ft. Myers, Florida, in November. That route is one Avelo began flying last November and intends to continue at least through Jan. 9, 2024.
Avelo and Breeze won’t cover the Ft. Myers route on the same days of the week. Breeze will fly it on Mondays and Fridays starting Nov. 17. Avelo, which now flies two days a week between RDU and Southwest Florida International Airport, will fly Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Nov. 5.
Breeze made its RDU debut in February. Ft. Myers becomes its 12th destination from RDU, including Los Angeles and, also starting in September, Las Vegas. The airline said it intends to fly to Ft. Myers through the winter into next spring.
Avelo also flies nonstop from RDU to 12 destinations, including seven in Florida.
Both airlines, founded by industry veterans, seek to fly under-served routes. That usually means being the only airline to fly nonstop to a particular destination or flying on days of the week when industry data suggests demand exceeds capacity.
