A Houston-based airline plans to begin offering discount flights to North Carolina and Florida in May from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, Islip Town officials said Tuesday.

Avelo Airlines plans flights two days a week — Thursdays and Sundays — to Concord-Padgett Regional Airport in North Carolina starting May 22, Islip and Avelo officials said in a joint news release. The airline will add Thursday and Sunday flights to Lakeland International Airport in Florida and Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina on June 12, town and Avelo officials said.

Avelo will be the Islip-owned airport’s fifth carrier, joining JetBlue, Frontier, Southwest and Breeze.

“We are so excited to welcome Avelo Airlines and value their focus on serving smaller, more convenient airports like Islip’s Long Island MacArthur Airport,” Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in a statement. 

Avelo, formerly a charter service known as Casino Express or Xtra Airways, launched on April 28, 2021, the town and airline said. The airline flies to dozens of U.S. cities, including Albany, New Haven and Hartford, as well as Cancun, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, according to the company’s website.

About 6.3 million customers have flown on nearly 50,000 flights since Avelo launched, the news release said.

At MacArthur, the company is offering introductory rates starting at $59, the news release said, adding that bookings can be made at AveloAir.com.

In a statement, Avelo CEO Andrew Levy said he was “excited to bring our reliable, convenient, and affordable service to New York and Long Island. … We are very proud of the presence Avelo has established in the Northeast and we are very excited about the addition of ISP to this important region.”

MacArthur has steadily added carriers in recent years as the travel industry has rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily grounded flights.

JetBlue launched service from MacArthur to Florida in October and has since announced it would add summer service to Boston starting April 30.

Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state would spend $150 million to develop a connection between the airport and the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station. The project depends on unspecified town and Suffolk County plans to redevelop a massive county-owned parking lot between MacArthur and the train station. 

Check back for updates on this developing story.

A Houston-based airline plans to begin offering discount flights to North Carolina and Florida in May from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, Islip Town officials said Tuesday.

Avelo Airlines plans flights two days a week — Thursdays and Sundays — to Concord-Padgett Regional Airport in North Carolina starting May 22, Islip and Avelo officials said in a joint news release. The airline will add Thursday and Sunday flights to Lakeland International Airport in Florida and Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina on June 12, town and Avelo officials said.

Avelo will be the Islip-owned airport’s fifth carrier, joining JetBlue, Frontier, Southwest and Breeze.

“We are so excited to welcome Avelo Airlines and value their focus on serving smaller, more convenient airports like Islip’s Long Island MacArthur Airport,” Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in a statement. 

Avelo, formerly a charter service known as Casino Express or Xtra Airways, launched on April 28, 2021, the town and airline said. The airline flies to dozens of U.S. cities, including Albany, New Haven and Hartford, as well as Cancun, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, according to the company’s website.

About 6.3 million customers have flown on nearly 50,000 flights since Avelo launched, the news release said.

At MacArthur, the company is offering introductory rates starting at $59, the news release said, adding that bookings can be made at AveloAir.com.

In a statement, Avelo CEO Andrew Levy said he was “excited to bring our reliable, convenient, and affordable service to New York and Long Island. … We are very proud of the presence Avelo has established in the Northeast and we are very excited about the addition of ISP to this important region.”

MacArthur has steadily added carriers in recent years as the travel industry has rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily grounded flights.

JetBlue launched service from MacArthur to Florida in October and has since announced it would add summer service to Boston starting April 30.

Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state would spend $150 million to develop a connection between the airport and the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station. The project depends on unspecified town and Suffolk County plans to redevelop a massive county-owned parking lot between MacArthur and the train station. 

Check back for updates on this developing story.