Avelo Airlines took flight recently at the greater Philadelphia / Delaware Valley’s Wilmington Airport (ILG) with exclusive nonstop service to San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in Puerto Rico. More than 250,000 Puerto Ricans reside in the greater Philadelphia /Delaware Valley region, the second-largest Puerto Rican population in the continental United States.

San Juan is Avelo’s first destination outside the continental United States and Avelo is the first airline to offer nonstop flights beyond the continental United States at ILG.

Since taking flight at ILG in February, Avelo has flown more than 200,000 customers, more than doubling the prior record number of annual travelers at ILG set in 2014. Avelo has also achieved year-to-date on-time performance rate at ILG of 81 percent and a flight cancellation rate of 0.4 percent, providing greater Philly and Delaware Valley travelers with reliability.

Avelo operates this route twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, utilizing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. Very low, one-way fares between ILG and SJU start at $99. Customers can make reservations at AveloAir.com.

Avelo celebrated the start of this new route recently amidst a backdrop of palm trees at a tropical beachfront-themed community ceremony at ILG. The festivities included Puerto Rican fare, lively photo opportunities and a water cannon salute to send the plane off. The event was hosted by Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) and Avelo Airlines leaders accompanied by local and state political and community officials, including Avelo Airlines Head of Brand and Communications Jim Olson, DRBA Executive Director Tom Cook, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, and members of the Hispanic community including Latin American Community Center CEO Maria Matos, and Nuestras Raíces VP India Colon-Diaz.