Avelo Airlines is adding nonstop flights to Chicago at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport and is bringing back a discontinued route to Nashville this winter, the budget carrier announced this week.
Service from the Charlotte suburb to O’Hare International and Nashville International airports will start in February. The low-fare provider is the only airline offering service between Cabarrus County and these two cities.
Routes to Chicago and Nashville will begin on Feb. 12, 2026, offering four flights per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. One-way tickets start at $35, according to the company. Flights can be purchased online at AveloAir.com.
“Adding an affordable way to get to the Windy City and to Music City this spring inspires more travel as we gear up for spring break, more vacations and connecting with friends and family,” said Avelo Airlines founder and CEO Andrew Levy.
Avelo began service in Concord in May 2024, with its first flight going to New Haven, Connecticut.
The company described it as a “fast, easy, and stress-free alternative to the long lines, congestion, and frequent flight delays at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.”
Avelo later opened its base in Concord in March, initially positioning one Boeing Next-Generation 737 at the airport, and adding a second aircraft last month to service passengers.
However, the airline has faced some challenges in Concord, which came with flight cuts.
Through Avelo Airlines, Concord-Padgett Regional Airport in Concord is offering service to Chicago and Nashville in 2026. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Music City route returns to Concord
Service to Nashville was discontinued last April along with several other routes due to low ticket sales, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The cancellations to Tennessee’s largest city and other destinations such as Daytona Beach, Florida, were attributed to “poor performance” and flights that weren’t booking in a “normal pattern,” according to Avelo.
The seasonality of the flight and frequency level was minimal when Avelo launched Nashville originally back in April. Instead of two flights per week, the airline is doing four, which provides more flexibility for travelers.
“Initially, we did not have the demand and enough aircraft availability to let the route improve over time,” spokeswoman Courtney Goff stated. “We added a second aircraft to our Charlotte/Concord base last month, which allows us to let this route, and our other new markets, mature more and develop.”
Levy said the decision to return to the Nashville route shows the ongoing need for affordable travel options.
The Chicago and Nashville routes are now among 10 offered at Concord-Padgett. The other eight destinations are Albany, New York; Boston / Manchester, New Hampshire; Lakeland / Orlando, Florida; New Haven, Connecticut; New York / Long Island, New York; Rochester, New York; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
More on Concord-Padgett Regional Airport
The airport is owned by the city and opened in 1994. It was renamed in honor of former mayor Scott Padgett in 2018.
Houston-based Avelo became the third airline at Concord. The one-runway airport also provides service for Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines.
NASCAR race teams use the airport frequently because of its proximity to Charlotte Motor Speedway. It serves as an alternative to nearby Charlotte Douglas, one of the world’s busiest airports and a major hub for American Airlines.
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Chase Jordan
The Charlotte Observer
Chase Jordan is a business reporter for The Charlotte Observer, and has nearly a decade of experience covering news in North Carolina. Prior to joining the Observer, he was a growth and development reporter for the Wilmington StarNews. The Kansas City native is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University.
