Ticket to growth
Low-cost airline spreads its wings with $75 million investment in Austin
Low-cost airline Allegiant is ramping up its presence at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in a move that could lead to new routes and more frequent flights on existing routes.
The Las Vegas-based airline says it’s investing $75 million to establish a base of operations at the Austin airport. With the expansion, Allegiant will create at least 89 jobs at the airport and house three Airbus A320 aircraft here. The airline plans to launch the new base on November 18.
“Austin has been a really exciting location for Allegiant. Not only do leisure travelers appreciate having convenient access to the incredible music scene, cultural and historic attractions the community has to offer, but local residents have also flocked to our affordable, nonstop flights for their travel needs,” Drew Wells, Allegiant’s senior vice president of revenue, says in an April 6 news release. “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.”
While Allegiant hasn’t committed to more routes or increased flight frequency in Austin, it says the local base of operations will open the door to those possibilities.
“The potential for added flights will bring more travelers into the area and offer Central Texans extra options when it comes to their own travel plans,” says Austin City Council member Vanessa Fuentes, whose district includes the airport.
Allegiant launched service in Austin in 2013. Since 2017, the airline’s gates have been located at the airport’s South Terminal. Allegiant offers 14 nonstop routes from Austin, such as Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh. The 14 routes include service starting May 27 to Bozeman, Montana, and service starting July 2 to Bentonville, Arkansas.
