Avelo Airlines today announced two new routes at Wilmington International Airport (ILM) – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, ILM’s first international route, and West Palm Beach, Florida. Avelo is the only airline offering nonstop service between ILM and these two destinations. Affordable one-way fares start at $57*.
Avelo will operate these routes twice a week utilizing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, flight dates and times are below. These exclusive routes expand Avelo’s affordable, convenient and industry-leading reliable air service introduced to Wilmington and the Island Beaches in June 2022. Travelers can book at AveloAir.com.
Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy said, “We continue to Inspire Travel by growing our service in Wilmington with these two new routes, including ILM’s first commercial international flight, offering our Customers even more choices. As the only airline offering nonstop service to Punta Cana and West Palm Beach from ILM, we are making it more convenient and affordable for our Wilmington-area Customers to enjoy 17 popular vacation destinations, while making it easier for out-of-state visitors to experience the best of Coastal North Carolina.”
From Coastal Carolina’s Wilmington International Airport (ILM):
Avelo will serve 17 nonstop destinations from ILM base.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ)
- Begins December 24, 2025, with twice weekly service on Wednesdays and Saturdays
West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI)
- Begins November 20, 2025, with twice weekly service on Thursdays and Sundays
ILM Airport Director Jeff Bourk said, “Since Avelo started service, just over 3 years ago, they have had a tremendous impact on our local economy. They added new flights to vacation destinations, connected friends and family, and created a base of operations at ILM. Since their start date they have carried 225,000 passengers out of ILM. Based on the NC DOT study these passengers had approximately $1.1 billion impact and the service generated over 6,000 jobs in the community! With the announcement today, Avelo’s impact grows with service to West Palm Beach and our very first international service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic! Thank you, Avelo, for your continued investments in ILM and our community.”
Growing Avelo at Wilmington International Airport
Avelo established ILM as a Crewmember base and base of operations on April 3, 2025, and currently has two Boeing Next-Generation 737s based at the airport. This represents the airline’s investment in Wilmington and enables Avelo to significantly broaden its convenient, affordable and reliable air service across Coastal North Carolina.Since taking flight at ILM in June 2022, Avelo has flown more than 480,000 Customers on nearly 4,000 flights.
To support its base, Avelo continues to create more jobs in Wilmington aviation for individuals at all stages of their career including pilots, flight attendants, ground services, Customer support and more.
Avelo will serve 17 nonstop destinations from ILM: Boston / Manchester, N.H. (MHT); Detroit, Mich. (DTW); Houston, Texas (HOU); Nashville, Tenn. (BNA); New Haven, Conn. (HVN); New York / Long Island (ISP); Philadelphia / Wilmington, Del. (ILG); Punta Cana, D.R. (PUJ); Rochester, N.Y. (ROC); Washington, D.C. / Baltimore, Md. (BWI); Washington, D.C. – Dulles (IAD); and six Florida cities: Fort Lauderdale (FLL); Fort Myers (RSW); Miami (MIA); Orlando (MCO); West Palm Beach (PBI); and Tampa (TPA).
America’s Most Reliable and Convenient Airline
Since taking flight on April 28, 2021, Avelo has flown more than 7.7 million Customers on over 61,000 flights. Today Avelo serves 50 cities spanning 20 states and Puerto Rico, as well as three international destinations: Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Avelo has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice, and competition by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country. Most Avelo routes have at least one small, easy to use airport. This makes traveling with Avelo a smoother, easier and more enjoyable experience than contending with the crowds, congestion and long walks at larger airports.
Avelo is distinguished by its industry-leading reliability. In 2024, Avelo ranked #1 in on-time performance and achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate in the U.S. airline industry. These results are provided by Anuvu, a leading aviation data services company also utilized by The Wall Street Journal for the publication’s annual airline ranking. Anuvu’s complete industry results and rankings are available at AveloAir.com.
Avelo also delivers world-class customer satisfaction, exemplified by our Net Promoter Scores (NPS), which consistently rank among the best airlines and most admired brands in the world.
Avelo offers a range of seating options. These include Standard, Stretch, and Stretch+ seating. Stretch provides extra legroom, with pitch ranging from 32 inches to over 36 inches. Stretch+ features a unique upgrade where the middle seat is blocked for added comfort and space. Customers can also purchase window and aisle seats in advance of their flight. In addition to advance seat assignments, Avelo offers several unbundled travel-enhancing options that give Customers the flexibility to pay only for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags, and bringing a pet in the cabin.
Additionally, families can travel with ease knowing every child 14 and under will be automatically seated with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.
About Avelo Airlines
Avelo Airlines’ purpose is to Inspire Travel by saving travelers time and money. The airline offers travelers time and money-saving convenience, everyday low fares, and a refreshingly smooth, caring and reliable travel experience. Operating a fleet of 22 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, Avelo serves 50 popular destinations across the United States, Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, including its seven bases at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Southern Connecticut’s Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), the Philadelphia / Delaware Valley region’s Wilmington Airport (ILG), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Central Florida’s Lakeland International Airport (LAL), Charlotte’s Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) and Coastal North Carolina’s Wilmington International Airport (ILM). For more information visit AveloAir.com or the Avelo Newsroom at AveloAir.com/Newsroom.
Media Contacts:
Avelo Airlines
Courtney Goff
[email protected]
Wilmington International Airport (ILM)
Erin McNally
[email protected]
*One-way fares include government taxes and fees. Fares start at $57 for travel between ILM and PBI for travel between January 8 and February 8, 2026. Fares must be booked by August 21, 2025. These routes are subject to foreign government approval. Fares are available on a limited number of flights and seats. Additional fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other optional services may apply. A $25 charge per seated traveler applies to all bookings or changes made through Avelo’s Customer Support Center. For full terms and conditions, please see Avelo’s Contract of Carriage.
