Copyright Hartford Courant
An airline offering twice-weekly, nonstop flights to Bermuda ended service from Bradley International Airport after just six months, the third airline to pull out of Connecticut’s largest airport in recent months. BermudAir stopped service to the vacation island off the coast of North Carolina on Sept. 7, a decision that “disappointed” the Connecticut Airport Authority, which oversees Bradley’s operations, “due to a shift in their network strategy,” the CAA said in a statement. “With its low operating costs and robust market, Bradley International Airport offers substantial opportunities to current and potential airlines, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to growing the airport’s route network with destinations important to our community,” the CAA said. BermudAir did not respond immediately to an email seeking comment. BermudAir’s decision to end service from Bradley was followed by two other airlines — Spirit Airlines and Avelo Airlines. Spirit had flown out of Bradley since 2017 and ended its service at the airport amid a bankruptcy reorganization and a decision to refocus on its strongest markets. Avelo, which had pursued a rapid expansion in the Connecticut beginning at Tweed New Haven Airport in 2021, pushed north and started flying from Bradley in late 2024. In October, the CAA disclosed that Avelo would stop flying out of Bradley on Jan. 25, 2026. The decision touched off some tense exchanges between the CAA and Avelo. The CAA said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision, particularly the loss of the state’s only nonstop route to Montego Bay, Jamaica. The authority said the decision to cancel the Jamaica destination was “inexplicable, given the strong ridership, subsidies received, significant airport incentives, and community support.” The authority made note of “Avelo’s financial distress and the impacts of public backlash related to its other business decisions” but did not go into specifics. But it has been widely reported that Avelo signed a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to transport deportees, sparking protests. Avelo shot back: “Like all business decisions we make, this exit was made based on facts – the revenues on the market did not cover the costs. “Any other insinuation to the contrary is unfortunate, false and uninformed. We remain committed to serving the state of Connecticut through our low fares out of New Haven Tweed airport.” Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
