Avelo Airlines will launch two new nonstop routes to the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla this November, a move the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR) says will strengthen visitor traffic and economic activity outside the San Juan metropolitan area. CTPR Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel announced Wednesday that ticket sales have begun for flights from […]
Avelo Airlines will launch two new nonstop routes to the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla this November, a move the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR) says will strengthen visitor traffic and economic activity outside the San Juan metropolitan area.
CTPR Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel announced Wednesday that ticket sales have begun for flights from Orlando/Lakeland, Florida, and Tweed/New Haven, Connecticut. Service from Florida begins November 18, followed by Connecticut on November 19. Each route will operate twice weekly.
According to CTPR estimates, the added capacity will bring roughly 40,000 seats annually and generate $13.8 million in economic impact for Puerto Rico.
Robles Cancel said the expansion supports the agency’s strategy to diversify the Island’s tourism footprint. “Los vuelos de Avelo hacia Aguadilla representan una magnífica oportunidad para fortalecer la actividad turística fuera del área metropolitana… y fomentar la creación de nuevos empleos, excursiones y productos turísticos en los municipios de la región oeste, centro y sur de la Isla,” she noted.
The Puerto Rico Ports Authority is also preparing for increased traffic. Executive Director Norberto Negrón said Avelo executives visited Aguadilla this week to tour the airport and meet with agency staff. He added that Ports is advancing infrastructure projects to attract additional airlines and routes to the region.
The new service builds on Avelo’s existing Puerto Rico operations, which include flights between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and Wilmington, Delaware; Concord, North Carolina; New Haven, Connecticut; and Lakeland, Florida.
Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy said the airline sees strong demand for connectivity to the Island’s west coast. “Nos enorgullece ampliar nuestro servicio a Aguadilla con nuevas rutas sin escala que conectarán la costa oeste de Puerto Rico con dos mercados clave,” he said, adding that the flights will serve both leisure travelers and the Puerto Rican diaspora in those states.
The expansion marks another step in the ongoing growth of Aguadilla’s airport, which has become a strategic hub for airlines seeking to tap into Puerto Rico’s regional tourism.
