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Allegiant reports earnings, port still wants more service
By Kalea Hall
VIENNA
Allegiant Travel Co. added service to several airports in 2016, but the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport was not one of them.
“We are continuously discussing the additional destinations with Allegiant,” said Dan Dickten, the airport’s director of aviation.
The airline Tuesday reported 2016 net income of $219 million, which was flat compared with 2015’s net income of $220 million.
The company’s operating revenue for 2016 hit $1.3 billion, up from the $1.2 billion reported in 2015.
“2016 has been a very transformational year for Allegiant,” said Maurice J. Gallagher Jr., chairman and CEO of Allegiant, in a statement. “During this year, we finalized a single-fleet type plan, signed our first pilot contract agreement, launched our credit-card program and announced the appointment of John Redmond as president of Allegiant.”
The Western Reserve Port Authority, which oversees the airport, is trying to get service to Punta Gorda, Fla., back as soon as possible. Las Vegas-based Allegiant, the only commercial airliner in operation at the airport, put that service on an extended hiatus in August.
Allegiant still offers three destinations at the Vienna airport: Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Sanford and Tampa Bay in Florida.
“We’d like to think we can support six to eight [destinations],” Dickten said.
The fourth quarter of 2016 was the airline’s 56th consecutive profitable quarter with revenue of $335.9 million, compared with $310.9 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2015. The airline’s net income for the quarter was $41.3 million, compared with $56.7 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2015.
In 2016, Allegiant added 75 routes and 13 new cities. An Allegiant spokesperson says it is “always keeping an eye on demand” in regard to the Punta Gorda service hiatus at the Vienna airport.
The airline’s total number of passengers increased 17.1 percent for the year to 11 million from 9 million in 2015. The airline’s number of departures increased 19.9 percent year-over-year to 82,341 from 68,653 in 2015.
The airline kicked off 2016 with the addition of 19 routes and new cities. Allegiant continued to add more routes and new cities throughout the year, and in December announced new nonstop service to Puerto Rico.
In September 2016, the airline announced it would end its service at Akron-Canton Regional Airport and add service to Cleveland with four new destinations.
This year, Allegiant already has announced 17 new routes and service from one new city: Louisville, Ky.
Allegiant also just announced it will open a new base of operations in Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Fla.