Low-cost Houston airline will expand flights in the Northeast this fall

The new service gives Houstonians a direct line to Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. Photo via aveloair.com

When it made its debut in June, soaring out of Houston's Hobby Airport, Avelo Airlines gave Houstonians another connection to the Northeast via a nonstop flight to New Haven, Connecticut (HVN) (also known as the Pizza Express). Now, the airline has announced another Northeast route that will begin this fall: Houston to Hartford's Bradley International Airport (BDL).

The airline will offer flights twice each week, on Mondays and Fridays, beginning November 15 on Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. Fares will begin at $98. It cements Avelo's status as the only airline flying nonstop from Houston to Connecticut.

"We are excited to debut our second route from Houston," Avelo Airlines founder and CEO Andrew Levyin said in a statement. "I am very encouraged by the response to our inaugural service between Houston and New Haven, Connecticut, and I'm optimistic we'll see a positive response on both ends of this route, as well. We're already hearing from our customers how excited they are about the convenience, affordability, and reliability Avelo is introducing to Houston."

The new service gives Houstonians a direct line to Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. Its location means travelers can easily access the mountains and arts districts of Massachusetts' Berkshires, the rural beauty of western Connecticut, as well as small, picturesque towns just over the Connecticut line into New York. Hartford is also within striking distance to some of Connecticut's most popular attractions, including the Mark Twain House and Museum, performing arts centers, and more. It's also about an hour away from Providence, Rhode Island, making it a gateway to the Ocean State's beaches and attractions in Newport and beyond.

"This addition provides even more options for travelers seeking convenient and affordable connections between Houston and the Northeast. Following the success of their Hobby Airport to Tweed-New Haven route, this new flight further strengthens Hobby Airport's position as a leading regional travel hub," said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston airports.

Avelo Airlines ranked No. 1 in on-time performance and achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate in the industry during the first half of 2024, according to results reported by Anuvu, a leading aviation data services company.The low-cost carrier offers seat assignments for an additional fee, and reserves one-third of its cabin as seats with extra legroom.

Customers may also opt to pay extra for things like priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags, and bringing a pet in the cabin. There are no extra fees to change or cancel reservations, and the airline automatically seats children under the age of 14 with an accompanying adult for no extra charge.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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Rice University lands $18M to revolutionize lymphatic disease detection

fresh funding

An arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $18 million to scientists at Rice University for research that has the potential to revolutionize how lymphatic diseases are detected and help increase survivability.

The lymphatic system is the network of vessels all over the body that help eliminate waste, absorb fat and maintain fluid balance. Diseases in this system are often difficult to detect early due to the small size of the vessels and the invasiveness of biopsy testing. Though survival rates of lymph disease have skyrocketed in the United States over the last five years, it still claims around 200,000 people in the country annually.

Early detection of complex lymphatic anomalies (CLAs) and lymphedema is essential in increasing successful treatment rates. That’s where Rice University’s SynthX Center, directed by Han Xiao and Lei Li, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, comes in.

Aided by researchers from Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the center is pioneering two technologies: the Visual Imaging System for Tracing and Analyzing Lymphatics with Photoacoustics (VISTA-LYMPH) and Digital Plasmonic Nanobubble Detection for Protein (DIAMOND-P).

Simply put, VISTA-LYMPH uses photoacoustic tomography (PAT), a combination of light and sound, to more accurately map the tiny vessels of the lymphatic system. The process is more effective than diagnostic tools that use only light or sound, independent of one another. The research award is through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) program, part of the U.S. HHS, which saw the potential of VISTA-LYMPH in animal tests that produced finely detailed diagnostic maps.

“Thanks to ARPA-H’s award, we will build the most advanced PAT system to image the body’s lymphatic network with unprecedented resolution and speed, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis,” Li said in a news release.

Meanwhile, DIAMOND-P could replace the older, less exact immunoassay. It uses laser-heated vapors of plasmonic nanoparticles to detect viruses without having to separate or amplify, and at room temperature, greatly simplifying the process. This is an important part of greater diagnosis because even with VISTA-LYMPH’s greater imaging accuracy, many lymphatic diseases still do not appear. Detecting biological markers is still necessary.

According to Rice, the efforts will help address lymphatic disorders, including Gorham-Stout disease, kaposiform lymphangiomatosis and generalized lymphatic anomaly. They also could help manage conditions associated with lymphatic dysfunction, including cancer metastasis, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration.

“By validating VISTA-LYMPH and DIAMOND-P in both preclinical and clinical settings, the team aims to establish a comprehensive diagnostic pipeline for lymphatic diseases and potentially beyond,” Xiao added in the release.

The ARPA-H award funds the project for up to five years.

Houston doctor wins NIH grant to test virtual reality for ICU delirium

Virtual healing

Think of it like a reverse version of The Matrix. A person wakes up in a hospital bed and gets plugged into a virtual reality game world in order to heal.

While it may sound far-fetched, Dr. Hina Faisal, a Houston Methodist critical care specialist in the Department of Surgery, was recently awarded a $242,000 grant from the National Institute of Health to test the effects of VR games on patients coming out of major surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The five-year study will focus on older patients using mental stimulation techniques to reduce incidences of delirium. The award comes courtesy of the National Institute on Aging K76 Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging.

“As the population of older adults continues to grow, the need for effective, scalable interventions to prevent postoperative complications like delirium is more important than ever,” Faisal said in a news release.

ICU delirium is a serious condition that can lead to major complications and even death. Roughly 87 percent of patients who undergo major surgery involving intubation will experience some form of delirium coming out of anesthesia. Causes can range from infection to drug reactions. While many cases are mild, prolonged ICU delirium may prevent a patient from following medical advice or even cause them to hurt themselves.

Using VR games to treat delirium is a rapidly emerging and exciting branch of medicine. Studies show that VR games can help promote mental activity, memory and cognitive function. However, the full benefits are currently unknown as studies have been hampered by small patient populations.

Faisal believes that half of all ICU delirium cases are preventable through VR treatment. Currently, a general lack of knowledge and resources has been holding back the advancement of the treatment.

Hopefully, the work of Faisal in one of the busiest medical cities in the world can alleviate that problem as she spends the next half-decade plugging patients into games to aid in their healing.

New accelerator joins the Ion and more Houston innovation news to know

Trending News

Editor's note: The Houston innovation scene is buzzing with big news this month, from a new accelerator joining the fold at the Ion to pre-IPO funding and national expansion plans. Below are the five most-read InnovationMap stories from Feb. 1-15, 2026:

New accelerator for AI startups to launch at Houston's Ion this spring

The new AI Native Dual-Use Sports, Health & Wellness Accelerator is expected to launch in March. Photo courtesy of the Ion

The Collectiv Foundation and Rice University have established a sports, health and wellness startup accelerator at the Ion District’s Collectiv, a sports-focused venture capital platform. The AI Native Dual-Use Sports, Health & Wellness Accelerator is scheduled to formally launch in March. Continue reading.

10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events in February

From recurring monthly favorites to the return of annual celebrations and summits, here's what not to miss in February. Photo courtesy the Ion.

February may be a short month, but its event calendar isn’t. From recurring monthly favorites to the return of annual celebrations and summits, here are the Houston business and innovation events not to miss — and how to register. Continue reading.

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