Allegiant forced to delay some flights, cancel others

Allegiant forced to delay some flights, cancel others

Allegiant airlines announced a compliance issue with a portion of aircraft in its fleet, forcing the airline to reinspect the unspecified problem and pull as many as 30 airplanes from its service fleet.

That process is expected to be complete by the end of this month, but in the meantime, the airline will be forced to delay, reschedule or cancel a number of flights over the next several days, according to a press release from the company.

Allegiant is the only airline providing scheduled service from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, with destinations including Orlando, Tampa Bay and Myrtle Beach.

Dan Dickten, director of aviation at the airport, said he just received word of the reinspections and aircraft issues this morning. The airport’s next scheduled flight is Sunday, he said, adding that it was unclear if that, or any other flights from the airport, would be canceled during the specified period.

“We don’t run the airline, just the airport,” Dickten said. “Allegiant has provided us with contact information for people to call with any questions. It’s a nice product, there’s going to be bumps along the way, but it’s a darn good thing we have going.”

Allegiant identified the problems on its McDonnell Douglas MD-80s, a twin-engine, short to medium-range aircraft, with a single row and the ability to seat anywhere from 130 to 172 people.

Dickten said an airline could cancel a flight the day it’s scheduled to take off or well before. It just depends on the situation, he said.

“We apologize for the disruption to our passengers and ask that they please remain patient as we work to correct the issue, reschedule affected flights and accommodate any passengers impacted,” said Andrew Levy, Allegiant Travel Co. president. “Allegiant is committed, above all else, to the safety of our passengers and crew, and we are dedicated to working around-the-clock to ensure that all of our fleet meets the highest standards.”

The airline has additional call center staff to deal with the disruption and it says affected travelers will be contacted directly. Customers may also sign up for flight alerts for individual flights at https://www2.allegiantair.com/flight-status or call 702-505-8888.