Source: TPG

Delaware has three decades worth of history of making it onto — and then falling off — the U.S. aviation map. For much of the 1990s and into the 2000s, service at Wilmington Airport (ILG) — the state's only passenger airport — had been spotty. It endured several stretches with no airline service at all, giving Delaware the dubious distinction of being the only state in America without commercial flights. When it did have service, it was often on the likes of carriers like Shuttle America and Skybus — the latter a short-lived ultra-low-cost carrier that lasted less than a year.

Hopes were perhaps highest in 2006 with the arrival of Delta, whose Delta Connection affiliates offered service to the airline's hub in Atlanta. However, that ended a year later, again leaving Delaware with no flights. Budget carrier Frontier tried Wilmington twice — once in 2015 and again in 2020 — but left after relatively short stays.

That brings us to Avelo, which announced that it would make Wilmington its third base and bring airline service back to the state. Will it stick this time? This is the question that led me to put Avelo's ILG routes on my most interesting list.

The airline started in February 2023 with five routes and now is up to 10 which suggests a good start. Let's check back this time next year to see how it's all going.