Allegiant begins major expansion; new flights include McCarran
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air began one of its largest expansions in years Thursday with the launch of several new flights, including six a week to and from McCarran International Airport.
The discount carrier, a subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Co., began flights to and from Oklahoma City and St. Louis on Thursday and will inaugurate service to and from San Antonio on Friday.
The company is introducing the routes with several discounted fares.
The additions are part of a systemwide expansion that includes new flights for Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and expanded service in Pittsburgh and Omaha, Neb.
San Antonio is the newest city on Allegiant’s route map and the airline will fly twice weekly Fridays and Mondays nonstop between McCarran and San Antonio International Airport. Allegiant will compete on the route with Southwest Airlines, which offers 25 nonstops a week to San Antonio.
Allegiant will fly twice weekly Thursdays and Sundays nonstop to and from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. The airline is competing on the route with Southwest, which flies round trips there twice a day.
On the St. Louis route, Allegiant is flying twice weekly Thursdays and Sundays but will switch to Fridays and Mondays on Nov. 20. The airline is flying nonstop round trips between McCarran and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., northeast of greater St. Louis.
Allegiant began serving the airport with flights to Orlando in 2012 and flew both Orlando and Las Vegas routes from April 2005 to January 2009. It’s currently the only airline serving MidAmerica, which shares runway facilities with Scott Air Force Base.
Allegiant is introducing the new routes with one-way fares of $74 to San Antonio, $81 to Oklahoma City and $97 to St. Louis for travel by Jan. 31 that must be purchased by Nov. 12. Allegiant commonly charges numerous fees for its services and transactions.
Allegiant also announced Thursday that its chairman and CEO, Maurice Gallagher, has received the 2015 Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society Award for his lifetime accomplishments in commercial aviation.
The award is named for the pilot and creator of the world’s first scheduled commercial airline.
Gallagher, who became a part of Allegiant management in 2001 and has served as CEO since 2003 and chairman of the board since 2006, has helped grow Allegiant from one aircraft with one route to a company that has had 51 consecutive profitable quarters and an airline that serves more than 100 destinations.
Gallagher led Allegiant’s initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2006 and he was responsible for moving the company’s corporate headquarters from Fresno, Calif., to Las Vegas.
Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find @RickVelotta on Twitter.