At a morning press conference yesterday, the
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority announced
Allegiant Air would begin to offer flights at Memphis International Airport. The very-low-cost carrier will offer three new flights beginning in late May; new destinations include Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Orlando-Sanford International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Each direct flight is priced at less than $100.
The scheduled press conference sparked excited speculation in the city. Airport officials have been busy in recent months to build potential relationships with Allegiant, but also JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines. In the wake of eliminated services from Delta, the airport has struggled to replace the Delta flights with additional, and affordable, flights.
After 18 months of negotiation, the Las Vegas-based carrier struck a deal in a market they see as an opportunity for growth. In addition to the new offerings in Memphis, Allegiant has very recently added flights in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Orlando and Baltimore.
"We are pleased to announce this expansion and bring new convenient, low-cost vacation options to five new communities, as well as new destination options for those communities we currently serve," Jude Bricker, Allegiant Travel Company Senior Vice President of Planning, said in a news release. "Allegiant is dedicated to making vacations more affordable for more people, offering travelers the lowest possible base fare and the best deals on vacation packages."
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