New Flight Launches From Long Island Airport

ISLIP, NY — Avelo Airlines' first flight from Long Island MacArthur Airport to Charlotte, NC, departed Friday morning, Town of Islip officials announced.

In March, the low-cost airline announced the new route, which will fly to Charlotte via Concord-Padgett Regional Airport twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.

To celebrate, Avelos is offering limited introductory fares as low as $49 at aveloair.com.

"We’re pleased to welcome our fifth air carrier and officially say ‘Hello, Avelo,’ to Long Island MacArthur Airport customers onboard the inaugural flight," said Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter. "Avelo understands the benefits of smaller, hassle-free airports like Islip, and we know local Long Islanders will enjoy Avelo’s ‘Every Day Low Fares’ and ultra-convenient airports."

According to Islip officials, Charlotte's positioning as a "major financial hub with a thriving cultural scene" attracts visitors with sites such as the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the U.S. National Whitewater Center and a bustling downtown.

"We’ve been in discussions for several years now with Avelo on air service development at Long Island MacArthur Airport. Charlotte/Concord is the fourth largest destination that was not served nonstop from ISP, and Avelo Airlines recognized the opportunity to meet customer demand for the flights," said Long Island MacArthur Commissioner of Aviation Rob Schneider.

In addition to Charlotte/Concord, NC, Avelo will begin nonstop flights to Orlando/Lakeland, FL and Wilmington, NC, on June 12, with nonstop flights offered twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays, officials said.

Avelo Airlines first took flight in 2021. Since that time, the airline has flown nearly 7 million customers, expanded to 53 destinations and has rapidly grown its aircraft fleet.

Long Island MacArthur Airport, which is about 50 miles away from New York City and is the closest airport to around 2.8 million residents, has experienced significant growth in the last year.

According to aviation news website Simple Flying, there will be 28 percent more takeoffs at MacArthur this summer than during the same period last year, and 11 percent more than pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

The estimate follows several new and recent flight additions out of MacArthur on both Breeze and JetBlue.

In October 2024, Breeze began flying round-trip between Fort Myers and MacArthur. Also in October, JetBlue launched daily flights between Islip and Orlando, and flights between Islip and Fort Lauderdale and Islip and Palm Beach, both four times a week. In November, Breeze started flying directly from Islip to Sarasota, FL.

In early 2025 commitment from New York State to invest a "transformational" $150 million to connect the Long Island Rail Road’s Ronkonkoma Station with the proposed $40 million North Terminal at MacArthur Airport, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in February.