Avelo Airlines is a **US ultra-low-cost carrier** that focuses on nonstop flights between **underserved small and midsize airports** and leisure destinations, competing on simplicity, convenience, and low fares.[4][6] It operates an all–Boeing **737 Next Generation** fleet and markets itself as “America’s most convenient airline.”[4][6] The company’s modern incarnation launched in **April 2021**, when its first scheduled flight departed **Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)** for Santa Rosa, California, kicking off service on 11 previously unserved West Coast routes.[3][6] Avelo’s **founder, chairman, and CEO Andrew Levy**—a former Allegiant Air co‑founder and United Airlines CFO—designed the airline around point‑to‑point, low-fare flying modeled on European and US low-cost leaders.[1][3][6] The airline’s stated purpose is to **“Inspire Travel”** by saving people time and money while providing a “refreshingly smooth” experience.[4][5][6] Avelo’s corporate lineage traces back to **Casino Express Airlines**, founded in 1987 to ferry gamblers to the Red Lion Hotel and Casino in Elko, Nevada, later rebranded as **Xtra Airways** in 2005 and eventually transformed into Avelo under Levy’s ownership in 2018.[1][2][3] This unusual evolution from a niche casino charter to a tech- and data-savvy ULCC is one of its most notable backstories.[1][3] Growth has been rapid. Since 2021 Avelo has expanded from a single base at Burbank to multiple bases across the US and, by mid‑2024, had flown **over five million customers on more than 40,000 flights**, serving **52 destinations in 23 states, Puerto Rico, and two international markets**.[4