New airline takes flight at Ford Airport with $49 nonstop trip to North Carolina
Avelo Airlines on Friday announced it is now flying out of the Ford Airport, beginning with a twice-weekly direct flight to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. In June, Avelo will also add a route to Lakeland International Airport in Florida. Both flights will fly out on Mondays and Fridays.
Avelo is offering one-way fares from Grand Rapids to North Carolina for $49, but with some caveats: That price is available for flights between Sept. 5 and Sept. 29, and it must be booked by May 30. Still, one-way fares currently appearing on the website range from $39 to $119.
Allegiant offers $42 rates for two new nonstop flights from Ford Airport
'We're excited to welcome Avelo Airlines,' Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority President and CEO Tory Richardson said in a release. 'These routes give West Michigan travelers convenient access to Raleigh-Durham's thriving tech and research triangle, and to the sunshine and family-friendly attractions of Central Florida.'
Ford Airport has been touting its direct flight options as it works to add more. It currently has direct flights to almost 40 destinations, including both seasonal and year-round flights. Allegiant Air on Thursday added a nonstop flight to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and on Friday added a nonstop flight to Jacksonville, Florida. Earlier this month, Delta Air Lines announced it is adding a nonstop flight to Orlando starting in December.
The airport has also been working to add a federal inspection station, which will make way for international direct flights, like a potential nonstop flight to Cancun.
GR direct to Cancun? What it takes to add a new nonstop flight
The airport, which saw a record-breaking 4.17 million passengers in 2024, is in the midst of a major $600 million project called Elevate. Crews are building a consolidated car rental facility and working on the terminal enhancement project, which will relocate ticket counters. The air traffic control tower is set to be relocated and a new parking garage is set to be built.
In 2023, the airport opened a newly expanded Concourse A. Other recent additions include an indoor animal relief area and a sensory room, along with several food and beverage options.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- UPI
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Associated Press
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Learn more at About Audax Private Equity Headquartered in Boston, with offices in San Francisco, New York, London and Hong Kong, Audax Private Equity manages three strategies: its Flagship and Origins private equity strategies, seeking control buyouts in the core middle and lower middle markets, respectively, and its Strategic Capital strategy that provides customized equity solutions to PE-backed portfolio companies to help drive continued growth. With approximately $19 billion of assets under management as of March 2025, over 290 employees, and 100-plus investment professionals, Audax has invested in over 175 platforms and more than 1,400 add-on acquisitions since its founding in 1999. Through our disciplined Buy & Build approach, across six core industry verticals, Audax seeks to help portfolio companies execute organic and inorganic growth initiatives with the aim of fueling revenue expansion, optimizing operations, and significantly increasing equity value. For more information, visit or follow us on LinkedIn. About Parthenon Parthenon Capital is a leading growth-oriented private equity firm with offices in Boston, San Francisco, and Austin. Parthenon utilizes niche industry expertise and a deep execution team to invest in growth companies in service and technology industries. Parthenon seeks to be an active and aligned partner to management, either through recapitalization transactions or by backing new executives. Parthenon has particular expertise in financial and insurance services, healthcare and technology services, but seeks any service, technology, or delivery business with a strong value proposition and proprietary know-how. For more information, visit View source version on CONTACT: Molly Fazio Kloos, Parthenon Capital 617-960-4012 [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY OTHER HEALTH FINANCE SOURCE: Parthenon Capital Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 08/04/2025 10:24 AM/DISC: 08/04/2025 10:25 AM
