Despite Shasta supervisor’s claims, Avelo says they left Redding for business reasons

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Despite Shasta supervisor’s claims, Avelo says they left Redding for business reasons

As Avelo Airlines leaves Redding, the discount carrier is expanding its service on the North Coast.

Avelo added a fifth flight from Humboldt County to Hollywood-Burbank in June and will add a sixth flight to Southern California in September, the county announced this summer.

On Monday, Avelo discontinued its service from Redding to Hollywood-Burbank, ending a three-plus-year run at Redding Regional Airport. The departure is

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throughout the country. Other communities Avelo has announced it will discontinue service in are Kalamazoo, Michigan; Dubuque, Iowa; Mosinee, Wisconsin; Broome County, New York; and Brownville, Texas.

Avelo’s moves coincide with its plan to expand on the East Coast, according to Redding Assistant City Manager Steve Bade.

Meanwhile, despite numerous claims by Shasta County Supervisor Chris Kelstrom that not enough was done to keep Avelo in Redding, airline spokeswoman Madison Jones reiterated to the Record Searchlight last week that the carrier’s decision to leave was based on business strategy.

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Discount carrier Avelo Airlines launched its long-awaited service to Hollywood Burbank Airport from Redding with much fanfare Thursday, May 20, 2021.

“Our decision to end this route also enables the airline to better utilize our resources elsewhere in our network,” Jones told the Record Searchlight.

Avelo Airlines

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its decision to stop serving Redding. Its ability to continue service in Redding was called into question after Trego Dugan, the company that contracted to do ground services for the airline, said it was leaving Redding. Trego Dugan management in Redding said the company was pulling out of California.

At public board meetings over the past few months, Supervisor Kelstrom has voiced his frustration about Avelo leaving Redding. Most recently, at the Aug. 20 meeting, he suggested a breakdown in communication between Avelo and the city was to blame.

“It’s really frustrating for me that … in my opinion there wasn’t enough done to keep them here,” he said.

Kelstrom and Redding City Councilman Mark Mezzano were at the airport Monday to talk with passengers, Avelo staff, and Trego Dugan representatives, according to a news release the county issued Monday afternoon.

Kelstrom at the Aug. 20 supervisors’ meeting pointed out that Trego Dugan also was Avelo’s ground-service operator in Humboldt County. So why is the airline expanding there and leaving Redding, he wondered.

“They lost their baggage handlers also, it’s a county-run airport. Somewhere along the line, someone was able to make it work so that Avelo stayed there,” Kelstrom said.

In July, supervisors sent a letter to Avelo CEO Andrew Levy that said in part: “Shasta County is willing to consider making contributions to offset the costs of managing ground services for either three years or up to $100,000, whichever is reached first.”

Story continues

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Supervisor Chris Kelstrom, left, and Supervisor Patrick Jones, the new chair, at the Shasta County Supervisors meeting on Jan. 10, 2022.

But what Avelo did to make it work in Eureka-Arcata was hire its own people to do ground services for the airline there, Jones said.

Redding Assistant City Manager Bade said Avelo was able to transfer some employees from the Charles M. Schultz-Sonoma County Airport to Humboldt County.

Sonoma County became Avelo’s newest base of operation in January, “meaning we have two aircraft and our own crewmembers based there to handle our operations,” Jones said.

Bade also said Avelo contacted other companies about providing ground services in Redding, but the airline was unable to find one. “We were not contacted to help with that procurement process,” Bade has said.

Asked why Avelo did not transfer employees to Redding to do ground operations, Jones again said the airline could make better use of the plane from Redding in the other communities it serves.

Redding Mayor Tenessa Audette said Avelo did not just stop service in Redding this summer.

“So, this is a business decision,” Audette said, adding that the city would love to see Avelo return to Redding.

Avelo flew twin-engine 737-700s from Redding to Burbank. The carrier also offered flights to Las Vegas from Redding for less than year before discontinuing them in December 2022.

Redding Chamber of Commerce President Todd Jones, who for years has worked closely with the city to recruit air service to the North State, has said it’s “nonsense” that Redding did not do enough to keep Avelo in town.

“I do know between Steve (Bade) and the airports division, (the city’s aviation consultant) Mead & Hunt and the EDC, and of course where I am able to help, I think we have a really good market. I think we still have a lot of momentum right now. We are going to continue to see opportunities in our market,” Jones told the Redding City Council at its July 16 meeting.

Meanwhile, all this is happening as supervisors want the city of Redding to consider forming a ****** powers authority (JPA) with the county to oversee the operation and development of Redding Regional Airport.

Supervisors on July 16 unanimously voted to send a letter to Mayor Audette and the City Council to consider the proposal.

Bade said Monday that to date no action has been taken on the proposal.

David Benda covers 

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, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly 

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This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight:

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#Shasta #supervisors #claims #Avelo #left #Redding #business #reasons

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