Texas-based budget airline known for $30 flights has shut down operations in California

Avelo Airlines, a Texas-based budget airline, is shutting down operations in California.

The idea was to offer sub-$30 fares, but it didn’t really work out.

Avelo Airlines’ busy Southern California base is gearing up for a sharp reduction in flights soon, with an exit on the horizon.

And they’re not alone.

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The reason why this budget airline is leaving California

Texas-based budget airline Avelo Airlines is one of the companies trying to do in the US what Ryanair, Wizz Air, and EasyJet are doing in Europe.

Basic flights with no amenities included, but at least the fare is cheap.

This business model can work – Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, proved it – but there are a lot of ifs and buts.

For example, Texas and California alone account for more private jet operations than all 27 EU countries combined.

It’s hard to find buyers for a $30 fare in markets that can afford hundreds of private jet flights a year.

Avelo currently operates 13 routes from California, but that number will drop to one by late August and to zero by year’s end.

Why so many airlines are making such changes

Texas-based budget airline Avelo is not alone, as several other airlines are making similar changes across the globe.

Wizz Air, the third-largest low-cost carrier in Europe, has spent the last few months removing a bunch of destinations from its portfolio, including the Maldives and the UAE.

The thing is, it’s easy to undercut ‘legacy’ airlines when you’re offering flight options from Paris to London because passengers are ready to accept the everything-is-extra approach if it’s just for a couple of hours.

But things change if you’re talking about a four or five-hour flight across two continents.

Some airports raised taxes, and airlines like Emirates and Etihad lowered prices.

As a result, a Wizz Air trip to the UAE or the Maldives was no longer viable.

Then there’s geopolitical instability, which is always a factor, and the rise of new business models, such as all-business airlines and empty legs on private jets.

It’s like the size of the pie never changed, but there are more people who want a piece now.

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