BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Brownsville Mayor John Cowen says Avelo Airlines could make his city its base of operations in Texas.

“Hopefully, one day, Brownsville will be a base for them,” Cowen told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.

Asked what he meant by “base,” Cowen said: “Having their crew operate out of here. Instead of the other cities that we fly to.”

Avelo Airlines is headquartered in Houston but Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport is the only city it flies out of in the Lone Star State.

The huge success of its first routes out of Brownsville, non-stop to Burbank, California, and Orlando, Florida, helped persuaded Avelo to add Las Vegas as another destination. Starting Sept. 8, 2023, Avelo will fly non-stop, twice weekly, from Brownsville to the entertainment capital of the world. The introductory price, one-way, will be $69.

In the podcast below, the Guardian interviews Mayor Cowen, Brownsville assistant city manager and aviation administrator Bryant Walker and Avelo’s general counsel, Daniel Camejo.