Earlier this month Avelo Airlines brought back direct flights from Redmond to Palm Springs, Calif., for the holiday season just as Horizon Air is gearing up to resume direct flights to Portland at the end of the month.

The little over two hour flights between Redmond Airport and Palm Springs International, which start at $74 one-way, originally began in November 2022. This year they will last until spring 2024 when demand for travel to the California desert begins to decrease, Avelo Airlines said in a release on Tuesday. Avelo officials said the airline brought the flight back because of how popular the route turned out to be in previous winters.

“We had planned to bring it back because it did so well for us last year,” said Madison Jones, Avelo Airlines communications manager for the West Coast.

The flights to Palm Springs operate twice a week — on Thursday and Sunday — with an additional flight on Tuesday to be added around Christmas.

Last year, more than 13,000 passengers took advantage of the direct flights between Redmond and Palm Springs, the release said.

Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air flights from Redmond to Portland will restart Nov. 29, airline officials announced earlier this year.

The service to Portland is expected to run until April 10, offering a flight option when roads between Portland and Central Oregon can be heavily impacted by winter weather.

Service between the two cities was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its one travelers have long requested to be reinstated.

“This route has been the top ask from both communities and will be highly impactful to the business population that commutes between the two cities,” said Kevin Lemme, general manager of airline planning & network performance. “We’re excited that we can resume service on a winter-seasonal basis.”