Allegiant Airlines planning Las Vegas to Honolulu route

Culminating more than a year of planning, Allegiant Travel Co. will launch its first scheduled flight over an ocean on June 29, when it begins its Las Vegas to Honolulu route.

Although it still has not received final government approval, the parent of Las Vegas-based airline Allegiant Air is "confident" that it will come soon, spokesman Brian Davis said. The proving runs, the final step in the process required by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly long-distance over water, will take place later this week.

The service will run three times a week, leaving in the morning and returning at night. As a result, Allegiant will go head-to-head with Hawaiian Airlines, which has been the only carrier on the route for several years.

Currently, the Hawaiian schedule shows 19 flights a week.

Last year, Hawaiian carried 519,000 people both to and from Honolulu, a
10.7 percent gain from 2010.

At 2,762 miles, by the measure of McCarran International Airport, this will be Allegiant's longest route ever by a wide margin. Knoxville, Tenn., is currently the farthest destination from Las Vegas on the Allegiant map at 1,738 miles.

Allegiant has set an introductory $174 one-way fare on the route, not including the numerous extra charges it puts out. For most days, Hawaiian is at least $220.

Part of the Allegiant operating template has been to limit flight times to four hours so the same crew and plane could turn around and return home on the same day. To accomplish this with Hawaii, about six hours away, each Allegiant Boeing 757-200 will carry three pilots, with one resting at all times.

In addition to the Las Vegas service, Allegiant will also fly once a week from Fresno, Calif., to Hawaii.

Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at
toreiley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.