Avelo Airlines Announces Operational Overhaul, Leaves Sonoma County Airport

A significant overhaul in operational strategies has prompted Avelo Airlines to withdraw from Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport. In an official announcement on Monday, July 14, 2025, the airline disclosed its plan to shut down operations from the said airport by Aug. 11, as a ripple effect of its imminent cessation of base operations in Burbank.

The unplugging of its Burbank activities is not affiliated with Avelo’s engagement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation flights. The airlines will begin tapering down its Burbank services from two aircraft to one starting Aug. 12, aiming to entirely abandon the hub by Dec. 2. Notably, Burbank will be the only hub that Avelo will suspend operations at by 2025’s end.

In Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, the airline’s five persisting services will conclude as noted – Service to Kalispell, Montana, will halt on Aug. 9, while flights to Bend/Redmond, Oregon, will cease a day after. A day later, on Aug. 11, services to Burbank and Las Vegas will come to an end. Additionally, flights to Palm Springs, which were seasonal, are already on pause.

Jon Stout, the manager of the airport, was informed about this shift by Trevor Yealy, Avelo Airlines’ commercial head. Stout noted, ‘Troubles with the airline’s West Coast operations have been persistent. Despite efforts to increase service utilization and frequency, achieving the necessary scale for West Coast operations remained an elusive goal.’

Stout queried Yealy on whether the ongoing local and national protests against the airline’s ICE contract had any bearing on the company’s decision. However, Yealy emphasized that the contract had no influence. ‘Decisions of this magnitude seldom hinge on a single factor, this situation is no exception,’ Yealy stated in a communique on Monday.

The airline demonstrated skepticism regarding the viability of sustained services from Burbank, highlighting an unfavorable financial setting amid aggressive competition. However, the specific circumstances or changes in the Burbank/Los Angeles area that might make it more conducive for Avelo remain unclarified.

When Avelo declared its plan to close down base operations at STS on May 1, citing underperformance as the explanation, it mirrored its current circumstance. The airline’s STS base had been operational for precisely a year. Subsequently, the single aircraft that was stationed at STS was reassigned to Mesa, Arizona to cater to deportation flights.

According to the airline’s Monday disclosure, with the Burbank hub’s closure later this year, Avelo will redirect its commercial focus to the East Coast where it already has established hubs. These include multiple states such as Delaware, North Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

As per Stout, ‘This decision affords Avelo Airlines an opportunity to shift its focus towards East Coast operations, a region exhibiting greater efficiencies, wider nets of bases, and more populous centers to engage.’ Stout’s remarks demonstrated a foresight of inevitable changes due to the long-standing challenges in the West Coast operations.

Avelo Airlines embarked on its inaugural flight on April 28, 2021, charting the skies from Burbank to Sonoma County. The airline will service specific markets using its remaining Burbank aircraft until the year-end deadline of Dec. 2; these include Humboldt County, Pasco in Washington, and three destinations in Oregon: Eugene, Medford, and Bend/Redmond.

With Avelo’s withdrawal from Sonoma County’s airport, customers who have made flight reservations now have the option of cancellation with an assurance of a full refund. Avelo’s transitions and their consequences mirror the dynamic nature of the aviation industry, spurred by a myriad of internal and external factors.