Just before 5:00 p.m. Thursday, the first flight from Orlando, Florida to Central Wisconsin Airport touched down, marking the beginning of a new partnership with Avelo Airlines.
"This is a big day for the airport," said airport director Brian Grefe.
The 737 aircraft was given a traditional water cannon salute before letting its passengers into the terminal.
Avelo prides itself on offering low-cost air travel, with tickets starting as low as $54.
"Having this low-cost option is going to make the airport a lot more accessible for passengers that haven't or haven't been able to use CWA in the past," Grefe said.
If you ask people from the airline, they don't people to judge the experience solely on how much it costs.
"This is one of the first low-cost carriers to have served this market, so I think it's taking advantage of great opportunity but also showing people that low fares doesn't necessarily mean low value," said Victoria Stennes, the head of customer experience at Avelo Airlines.
The flights themselves are only offered two days per week to begin, Sundays and Thursdays, and take about three hours each way.
Avelo's current plan, according to Stennes, is to feel out demand and get involved with the Central Wisconsin community.
"We want to be a part of your community, and I think there's a track record that shows not only that we've done that, but it's been mutually beneficial and that's the best kind of partnership," she said.
Some passengers from Orlando told News 9 they had come up for an art exhibit in Wausau and were not aware of the significance of their flight.
The sightseeing factor both ways is something that Grefe says might make this partnership a success.
"That's an area that we've seen certainly since COVID, [Florida] is our number one destination, so this will be able to not only give Central Wisconsin an option to Central Florida, but also to the rest of Florida," he said.
If you'd like to get away immediately, there are round-trip tickets available that depart from CWA Sunday and return next Thursday.
