Travelers who frequent Hollywood Burbank Airport are facing a change in the wind, as Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier, announced it will bring its West Coast operations to a halt by December 2, 2025. The Texas-based airline, operating from Burbank since 2021, cited financial challenges as the impetus for this strategic redirection. The carrier will be transitioning its fleet and bolstering its presence on the East Coast, as stated in an official announcement by the airline.
As reported by NBC Los Angeles, CEO Andrew Levy expressed the economic strain, "We believe the continuation of service from BUR in the current operating environment, will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop." Additionally, Airways Magazine noted that Avelo plans to reduce its Burbank-based fleet to just one aircraft by August 12, before ultimately ceasing operations in the region. This downsizing precedes the final cessation of services on December 2.
The shift from the West Coast, does not come without opportunities for Avelo's California-based staff, with the airline offering transfers to bases in North Carolina, Connecticut, and Delaware. Passengers holding tickets for future flights from Burbank can obtain refunds by cancelling their trips online. The airline maintains that this strategic reallocation will not leave travelers adrift but provides a pathway for recompense, as outlined in their official guidance.
Avelo's decision also follows the public's dissent and calls for boycotts after the airline's contractual agreement to carry out deportation flights for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security came to light. Despite the controversy, an Avelo spokesperson asserted to FOX LA that the protests and DHS contract, "did not have any effect on its decision to close the base and have not impacted its business." Nevertheless, the airline is set to persist with its service expansion out of other hubs, including a new nonstop route from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Tweed New Haven Airport that launched in May 2025.
