NEWS: Budget Airline Permanently DROPS Route to Orlando Airport

It seems like a lot is always happening at Orlando International Airport. New services, like MCO Reserve, are being added to make the whole process of flying out of the airport a lot less stressful. The addition of Terminal C for international flights has been so popular that you can actually visit the terminal without a plane ticket just to check it out.

We also often see a lot of new flights being added to Orlando from all over the world. However, there is one city that was recently dropped from an airline’s flight schedule, meaning that’s one less way to get to Orlando.

According to KCRG, Avelo Airlines has informed Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa that it will no longer be flying out of that airport. Flights had already been paused from Dubuque to Orlando earlier this year, but those were expected to restart in November 2024. However, it seems that Avelo will have no flights from Dubuque to Orlando or anywhere else.

©Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Avelo/Getty

In March and April 2023, Avelo reported that about 83 percent of its flights were booked on the Dubuque to Orlando route with 90 percent booked in August 2023. According to Todd Dalsing, the Dubuque Airport Manager, the flights offered by Avelo to Orlando were very popular.

However, the airline has decided to no longer fly out of Dubuque citing the availability of aircraft and increasing costs at Orlando International Airport. Interestingly enough, the airline previously received $1 million in local taxpayer funds as an incentive to start flights from Dubuque.

Dubuque is just one of six cities that Avelo has dropped from its 2024 flight schedule. The airline has also not commented on what Dubuque passengers who were part of Avelo’s loyalty program can do with earned rewards and credits.

If you used Avelo Airlines to fly to Orlando from Dubuque, you’ll have to look for other options now. If you’re headed to Disney World, you’ll also need to figure out how to get from Orlando International Airport to Disney World. You have several options available, including renting a car, using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, or booking seats on a shared shuttle service like Mears Connect driven by Sunshine.

Check back with AllEars soon for more.