ST. GEORGE — Avelo Airlines, which previously announced plans to expand its service to include twice-weekly direct flights from St. George to Los Angeles, is postponing the program’s launch.
In July, St. George News reported that Avelo intended to begin flying that route on Oct. 7, with one-way fares starting at $49. But as the airline industry nearly rebounded to pre-pandemic numbers, many airlines are now experiencing what they call “deceleration,” which includes decreased bookings coupled with an increase in flight cancellations, as the Delta variant of the coronavirus has fueled a surge in new COVID-19 infections.
“The industry-wide demand deceleration due to the Delta variant of Covid-19 has prompted us and other airlines to adjust our schedule to softer demand,” Sabrina Goodman, of Crafted Communications, said via email. “As a result, we have delayed launch of our St. George route, and Avelo Airlines is deferring a decision on the matter until next spring.”
David Cordero, communications and marketing director for the city of St. George, said he and his colleagues are looking forward to having such a convenient way to get to and from Southern California.
“But we understand why Avelo decided to wait on this particular flight,” he said. “It will be great to have this flight in 2022, as we have two major Ironman 70.3 championship races along with our full assortment of fun and exciting events that St. George is known for.”
Back in July, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board Chief Marketing Officer Don Skeoch said in a press release that “Los Angeles has started its comeback,” before inviting visitors to “safely and responsibly start their own returns to the area.”
But the recent surge in COVID-19 cases prompted officials in Los Angeles to update its measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing masks while using public transportation, indoors in K-12 schools and in public settings, regardless of vaccination status.
Likewise, the Southwest Utah Public Health Department reported that Washington County has a high disease transmission rate, with 966 new cases reported during the past two weeks.
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