The new base for the Las Vegas-based airline will expand the airline’s local operations, serving as the permanent home for local flight crews and at least three aircraft. Allegiant will also be expanding hours and flight offings out of Austin.
The $75 million investment will bring new job and economic growth opportunities to Central Texas, according to an April 6 press release by the airport.
“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, said at a March 6 press conference. “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.”
Allegiant has offered flights from ABIA since 2013, with flights traveling in and out of the South Terminal since 2017. According to Allegiant, the airline specializes in “linking travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class leisure destinations.”
Allegiant flights out of Austin go to destinations including Albuquerque, Indianapolis and Las Vegas year-round, and other seasonal destinations include Orlando, Cincinnati, Memphis, Knoxville, Pittsburgh and Des Moines.
Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who represents District 2 in Southeast Austin, said the additional flights to Austin could help boost the local economy and tourism industry.
“The announcement of Allegiant’s selection of Austin as a base city is just the kind of news our community and the tourism industry needs right now,” she said during the press conference. “The airport is an economic driver in our local economy, and I'm excited to see growth and activity in the district and beyond during such a critical time.”
