The move is expected to create almost 90 jobs and will help connect the city with leisure destinations
Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) – the owner of low-cost carrier Allegiant Air – has announced its plans to establish a base for the operator at the South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.
The company, based in Las Vegas, is set to invest $75m (£54m) to begin operations at the new Austin base. The move is expected to create 89 jobs and will include the positioning of three Airbus A320 aircraft.
Operations are planned to begin on November 18, with the focus on connecting travellers from smaller cities to bigger leisure destinations.
Austin is famous for its events, live music, and cultural arts, making it a prime location for Allegiant.
“It makes perfect sense to establish a permanent base in Austin, further establishing Allegiant as a hometown airline in a city we love and where we plan to grow,” said Drew Wells, senior vice president of revenue for Allegiant. “Having locally-based operations will mean opportunities for expanded hours, as well as more flight offerings for visitors and locals alike.”
The city is also home to the University of Texas and is one of the fastest growing centres for technology innovation and business enterprise.
The company began operating at the Texas gateway in October 2013, including services from Austin to Las Vegas, alongside 14 other non-stop routes. Since then, Allegiant has flown over 1.1 million passengers through the region.
Vanessa Fuentes, Austin City councilwomen, believes that the announcement of the new base “is just the kind of news our community and the tourism industry needs right now”.
Exclusively offering non-stop flights, the airline always ends at a base rather than offering connecting flights through busy airports. The new established site in Austin will allow for more flexibility when it comes to flight times, as well as the opportunity to add new routes.
