Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air is a US airline headquartered in Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is wholly owned by Allegiant Travel Company, which is listed on NASDAQ. Since 13 May 2026 the same parent company has also owned Sun Country Airlines. In its quarterly report for the period to 30 June 2026, Allegiant said the two airlines still fly as separate brands under separate FAA operating certificates, that it has applied for a single certificate which it expects to receive in 2028, and that it plans to phase out the Sun Country trademarks as Sun Country is folded into the Allegiant network.

From Fresno charters to a Las Vegas leisure network

The airline was founded in January 1997 as WestJet Express by Mitch Allee, Jim Patterson and Dave Beadle, and took the name Allegiant Air after a trademark dispute. It received FAA and DOT certification on 19 June 1998, and scheduled service began on 15 October 1998 with Douglas DC-9 flights between Las Vegas and Fresno, California. Allegiant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2000, and the restructuring left creditor Maury Gallagher in control. Under him the airline moved its headquarters to Las Vegas and built its model around linking smaller cities with Las Vegas, often sold together with hotel packages. The holding company's shares began trading on NASDAQ in December 2006.

Business model

Allegiant concentrates on leisure travellers from small and medium-sized cities, flying them nonstop to warm-weather destinations such as Florida, Las Vegas and Phoenix. It sells point-to-point flights only, with no connections, and often uses secondary airports, for example Phoenix-Mesa rather than Phoenix Sky Harbor and Orlando Sanford rather than Orlando International. Base fares include few extras; bags, seat assignments and onboard food and drink are sold separately, alongside hotels and rental cars. The airline has historically bought used or discounted aircraft and flown them fewer hours a day than many competitors, adding and cutting flying with the seasons. At 30 June 2026 the Allegiant Air network covered 90 origination cities and 34 leisure destinations, and the enlarged group was selling 675 routes including Sun Country's.

Fleet

Allegiant flew DC-9s and then MD-80s until November 2018, having switched to the Airbus A320 family from 2012, largely with second-hand aircraft. In December 2021 it committed to buy 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and deliveries began in September 2024. Allegiant Travel Company's Q2 2026 report lists 124 Allegiant aircraft in passenger service at 30 June 2026: 77 Airbus A320s, 28 Airbus A319s and 19 Boeing 737 MAX 8200s. It had firm commitments for 30 more aircraft due between 2026 and 2028, and plans to retire some older Airbus airframes between August 2026 and January 2027 as the 737s arrive.

2026

• January 2026: Allegiant agreed to buy Sun Country Airlines in a cash-and-stock deal. The US Department of Transportation approved it on 15 April 2026, both companies' shareholders on 8 May, and the deal closed on 13 May 2026.
• July 2026: Allegiant signed a 12-month exclusive distribution agreement with Expedia Group, its first authorised online travel agency, putting its flights on Expedia Group's US brands.
• July 2026: the airline said every Allegiant flight would include a complimentary drinks service from 1 August 2026, and announced Allegiant First, a premium seating tier due on some aircraft in spring 2027.