Plant City Insider

Commercial air service is taking off at Lakeland International Airport, thanks to Avelo Airlines and Amazon Air. The budget-friendly airline has filed plans for a significant footprint at the airport, which would greatly expand its capabilities.

This announcement signals a major milestone for Lakeland and the broader Polk County region. With over 725,000 people living within a 30-minute drive of the airport, the expansion of air services offers more opportunities to fly to diverse locations that other large airlines in the area do not offer.

Avelo’s Strategic Expansion

The airline, which launched in 2021, has built a reputation for affordable fares, customer-friendly policies, and service to underserved airports. Avelo started operating out of Lakeland in 2024 and currently offers direct flights to 7 locations from Lakeland, including Nashville, Tennessee, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This marks a major success for LAL, which has grown steadily through investments in infrastructure, partnerships with aerospace companies, and now the return of passenger service. Amazon Prime Air kicked off the recent stint in expansion when it started operating at the airport in 2020, and recently expanded its operations at the airport to increase daily flight capacity.

Looking Ahead

As Lakeland airport welcomes commercial travelers once more, many are optimistic about future growth. Recently, Lakeland Airport shared 3 conceptual plans for a terminal expansion at the airport, which would offer jetways commonly found at larger airports, as well as other enhanced infrastructure like improved roadways and parking, and likely shopping amenities. A jetway allows passengers to board the plane directly from the terminal, eliminating the need to walk onto the tarmac and use stairs.

Plans are also in the works to add a second parrallel runway running east to west, which would increase the airport’s hourly capacity.

Plant City Impact

All of this expansion will impact Plant City with increased noise pollution, but also increased job opportunities, vacation destinations, and business opportunities. Local residents have been displeased with the regular flights coming over their homes, causing disruptions. Due to Lakeland Airport’s location, there is almost no flight path that wouldn’t include flying over some portion of Plant City. The airport did undergo a study to try and adjust the flight plans to avoid residential areas. However, that study and the flight plan that resulted from it mainly affected Lakeland, with the flight path now more closely following the Polk Parkway.

It will be interesting to see how Plant City residents react to this development and how these plans will develop in the future.