Tag Archives: Allegiant Air

Allegiant announces 19 new routes

Allegiant Air announced 19 new twice-weekly seasonal routes for the summer season. Destin-Fort Walton Beach and Nashville received the greatest number of new routes:

Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Des Moines, Iowa: Two weekly flights starting May 16

Huntington, West Virginia: Two weekly flights starting June 6

Little Rock, Arkansas: Two weekly flights starting May 17

Rockford, Illinois: Two weekly flights starting June 5

Shreveport, Louisiana: Two weekly flights starting May 17

Toledo, Ohio: Two weekly flights starting June 7

Wichita, Kansas: Two weekly flights starting June 5

Nashville, Tennessee

Allentown/Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania: Two weekly flights starting May 17

Bentonville/Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport: Two weekly flights starting June 6

Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Two weekly flights starting May 17

Cleveland: Two weekly flights starting May 16

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Two weekly flights starting June 6

Orlando/Sanford, Florida: Two weekly flights starting May 17

Los Angeles

Bozeman, Montana: Two weekly flights starting June 5

Las Vegas: Two weekly flights starting June 5

Savannah, Georgia

Albany, New York; Two weekly flights starting June 6

Providence, Rhode Island: Two weekly flights starting June 6

Knoxville, Tennessee

Pittsburgh: Two weekly flights starting May 17

Charleston, South Carolina

Columbus/Rickenbacker, Ohio: Two weekly flights starting June 6

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Allegiant Air Airbus A319-112 N332NV (msn 2638) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 945205.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Allegiant announces its financial results, will add 17 additional Airbus aircraft

Allegiant Travel Company (Allegiant Air) has reported the following financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2018, as well as comparisons to the prior year:

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Twelve Months Ended December 31,
Unaudited	2018		2017		Change		2018		2017		Change
Total operating revenue (millions)	$	412.1	$	379.2	8.7	%	$	1,667.4	$	1,511.2	10.3	%
Operating income (millions)	63.1		26.8		135.7		243.5		230.6		5.6
Net income (millions)	41.4		83.4		(50.4	)	161.8		198.1		(18.3	)
Diluted earnings per share	$	2.56	$	5.18	(50.6	)	$	10.00	$	12.13	(17.6	)

“I’m happy to report we had our 64^thconsecutive profitable quarter,” stated Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., chairman and CEO of Allegiant Travel Company. “The past 18 to 24 months have been challenging as we pushed through a successful onetime changeover to an all Airbus fleet. This was a major undertaking by our team. During this period we sustained a number of one-time transition costs but still maintained among industry leading operating margins on our airline activity of 15.3 percent despite a 27 percent increase in the cost per gallon of fuel in 2018.

“And these returns were accomplished despite the added challenges of our fleet transition years. I couldn’t be more pleased with where we find ourselves today as we look forward to 2019 and beyond. We are also pleased with our EPS-based reporting approach which we started in 2018. You will see our estimates for 2019 below.

“Finally, my hat is off to our team. They not only rose up to the logistical challenge of the fleet changeover during the past 18 months, but at the same time continued to elevate our operational performance and customer service standards across the board.”

Highlights

Currently 431 routes
o Nearly 75 percent no competition – 90 percent of new 2018 routes no competition
o Have identified an additional 600 routes for possible growth
2019 expect higher EBITDA
o Revenue improvement from higher number of incremental seats
o Greater efficiencies in labor and fuel consumption
o Higher aircraft reliability will enable more flights during peak days
o Higher number of charter opportunities versus the MD-80
2018 improvement in operations
o Controllable completion – 99.7 percent, among best in industry
o Improved operations – over $10 million in cost savings
o On time arrival 77 percent, up nearly four percentage points over 2017
Co-brand credit card
o Active accounts increased by approximately 60 percent versus 2017
o Signed marketing agreement with Minor League Baseball participating clubs
2019 high yield bond refinancing
o $450 million term loan
o Five year duration
o Expected to close in early February

Shareholder returns

2018 shareholder returns
o Returned $45 million in dividends in 2018
o Will pay dividends of $0.70 per share on March 14, 2019 to shareholders of record as of March 1, 2019
o $100 million in share repurchase authority

2019 outlook

Aircraft
o Expect to add seventeen Airbus aircraft by the end of the year
o Have now terminated forward capital leases for eight aircraft due to extensive delivery delays
Scheduled and system ASM growth
o First quarter expected to grow between four and six percent vs last year
o Expect first quarter ASM growth to be the lowest of the year
o Expect second quarter ASM growth to be the highest of the year due to later Easter
Sunseeker Resort financing
o Expect $175 million of the estimated $420 millionSunseeker Resort construction cost
o Provided by a well-known institutional asset manager
o 2/3 of the loan is expected to be non-recourse to Allegiant Travel Company
o Expect financing to close by the end of the first quarter 2019

Aircraft fleet plan by end of period

Aircraft – (seats per AC)	YE18	1Q19	2Q19	3Q19	YE19
A319 (156 seats)	32	37	37	38	38
A320 (177/186 seats)	44	46	51	53	55
Total	76	83	88	91	93

Aircraft listed in table above include only in-service aircraft and future aircraft under contract (subject to change)

Previously the company announced 16 new routes and plans to establish a two-aircraft base at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company also announced service to two new cities – Nashville, Tennessee and Savannah, Georgia.

Above Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Allegiant Air Airbus A320-216 N273NV (msn 3076) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 945314.

Allegiant aircraft slide show:

Allegiant adds 16 new routes, including Anchorage, Alaska

Allegiant Air is adding 16 new routes in 2019 including its first route to Alaska (Bellingham – Anchorage):

Anchorage, Alaska

Bellingham, Washington: Seasonal service begins May 22 with two flights a week

Charleston, South Carolina

Cleveland: Seasonal service begins June 6 with two flights a week

Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Omaha, Nebraska: Seasonal service begins June 7 with two flights a week

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Seasonal service begins June 6 with two flights a week

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Albany, New York: Seasonal service begins June 5 with two flights a week

Hagerstown, Maryland: Seasonal service begins June 6 with two flights a week

Nashville, Tennessee

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Seasonal service begins June 6 with two flights a week

Norfolk, Virginia

Cincinnati: Seasonal service begins June 7 with two flights a week

Cleveland: Seasonal service begins June 7 with two flights a week

Mesa, Arizona

Grand Junction, Colorado: Year-round service begins April 5 with two flights a week

Kalispell/Glacier Park, Montana: Seasonal service begins May 15 with two flights a week

Knoxville, Tennessee

Denver: Seasonal service begins May 22 with two flights a week

Savannah, Georgia

Allentown, Pennsylvania: Seasonal service begins June 8 with two flights a week

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Seasonal service begins June 7 with two flights a week

Niagara Falls, New York: Seasonal service begins June 7 with two flights a week

Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Seasonal service begins June 8 with two flights a week

Top Copyright Photo: Allegiant Air Airbus A320-214 WL N256NV (msn 8220) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 943865.

Allegiant aircraft slide show:

Allegiant Air announces a new aircraft base in Grand Rapids, MI

Allegiant Air has announced plans to establish a two-aircraft base at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Allegiant’s growth plans in the state include creating at least 66 new, high-wage jobs. As part of today’s presentation, the company also announced service to two new cities – Nashville, Tennesseeand Savannah, Georgia.

Today, Allegiant serves 11 nonstop routes from the state of Michigan, including flights from Grand Rapids and Flint.

New seasonal service from Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) announced today includes:

Nashville, Tennessee via Nashville International Airport (BNA) – beginning June 6, 2019 Savannah, Georgia via Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) – beginning June 7, 2019

Allegiant began operating at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in 2009 and with today’s announcement now offers nine nonstop routes – to Las Vegas; Mesa, Arizona; to five cities in Florida: St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Sanford and Sarasota/Bradenton; and seasonal service to Nashville and Savannah beginning in June.

Allegiant currently carries more than 300,000 annual passengers through Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids will become the airline’s 16^th aircraft base, which will allow Allegiant to expand its service to and from the city, offer more new nonstop routes in the future, and further connect Grand Rapids businesses, residents and visitors to destinations around the world.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 N312NV (msn 2289) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 945204.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Allegiant unveils a revised Make-A-Wish® livery

Allegiant Air has officially debuted an Airbus A320 aircraft featuring an updated look: the new blue and white Make-A-Wish^® logo.

Allegiant’s aircraft featuring the new Make-A-Wish livery is based in Orlando Sanford International Airport.

The aircraft, which has served as the world’s largest mobile billboard promoting the six-year partnership between Make-A-Wish and Allegiant, was recently repainted to reflect the nonprofit’s newly-redesigned logo. Allegiant released on social media a new time-lapse video (below) showing the plane’s transformation.

The blue and white Make-A-Wish brand, with a shooting star dotting the “I” in “Wish,” starts in front of the plane’s wings and stretches across half of the fuselage down to the tail, where it meets the orange of Allegiant’s iconic sunburst logo.

The special livery is the only one in Allegiant’s fleet highlighting the airline’s dedication to helping Make-A-Wish grant wishes to children with critical illnesses.

The aircraft is based at Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida, a fitting location, as more than 95 percent of Make-A-Wish kids flown by Allegiant travel there to visit the city’s theme parks.

Since 2012, Allegiant has partnered with Make-A-Wish, helping to fulfill the wishes of more than 1,400 children. The airline is currently a Wish Champion, recognized for making $1 million in annual contributions.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Allegiant Air Airbus A320-214 N218NV (msn 1229) (Make-A-Wish) FLL (Andy Cripps). Image: 945203.

Allegiant aircraft slide show:

Allegiant retires the last MD-80, is now all-Airbus

Allegiant Air yesterday (November 28, 2018) retired its last McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82/83/87 and MD-88 (MD-80 series) from revenue service as it retraced its first route between Fresno and Las Vegas.

The aircraft landed at Las Vegas at 3:29 pm PST and received a water cannon salute at LAS ending an era for the company.

The pictured (top) McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N417NV flew flight AAY 3 from FAT to LAS.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N417NV (msn 53347) LGB (Michael B. Ing). Image: 907039.

Allegiant aircraft slide show:

Allegiant to add 9 new routes from Sarasota/Bradenton

Allegiant Air is adding 9 new routes from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport for this winter/spring season.

Allegiant Air is also adding a new nonstop seasonal service between Louisville (Louisville International Airport – SDF) and New Orleans (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport).

Starting on February 22, 2019 Sarasota-Bradenton passengers will be able to fly nonstop to Asheville, North Carolina, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Starting in April, 2019, the carrier will offer twice-weekly nonstop service to Syracuse, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Top Copyright Photo: Allegiant Air Airbus A319-111 N317NV (msn 2477) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944028.

Allegiant aircraft slide show: