Allegiant takes flight from Gary Wednesday
By Carole Carlson ccarlson@post-trib.com February 11, 2012 7:10PM
Josie Traficante cleans the ticket counter area in anticipation of Allegiant Air's first flight from Gary/Chicago Airport next week. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media
timeline
November 1999: Pan American Airlines makes its inaugural passenger flight out of Gary/Chicago Airport.
June 2002: Pan American ends its passenger service at Gary.
Feb. 25, 2004: Southeast Airlines kicks off passenger service with a flight to St. Petersburg, Fla.
June 2004: Hooters Air of South Carolina begins making flights in and out of Gary airport.
Dec. 1, 2004: Southeast Airlines ends service.
January 2005: Days before ATA Airlines is set to start flying out of Gary, ATA ends service.
December 2005: Hooters Air ends flights.
December 2006: SkyValue USA announces it will begin passenger service to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Orlando, Fla., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and St. Petersburg, Fla.
May 2007: SkyValue cancels service.
March 2008. Skybus Airlines first flight from Gary/Chicago International Airport to Greensboro, N.C. takes off. The air service lasted less than a month.
December 2011: Allegiant Air announces it will offer passenger service to Orlando/Sanford International beginning Feb. 15.
About Allegiant
Founded: 1997
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company is focused on linking travelers in small cities to leisure destinations. Through its subsidiary, Allegiant Air, the company operates an all-jet passenger airline, and offers other travel-related products such as hotel rooms, rental cars, and attraction tickets.
The company ranked ninth this year in Forbes’ Best Small Companies. Allegiant was also recently named one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Fastest-Growing Companies” in 2011 and 2010,
Allegiant operates a fleet of 51 MD-80 and 1 Boeing 757-200 class aircraft.
Source: allegiant.com
Article Extras
GARY — As its name implies, Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company is more than an airline.
Vacations are its business. And 36 straight profitable quarters demonstrate it knows what it’s doing in turbulent economic times for the travel industry.
An airline with a solid track record coming to Gary is a novelty that officials hope turns into a mainstay.
On Wednesday, subsidiary Allegiant Air begins nonstop passenger flights two days a week from the Gary/Chicago International Airport to Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida, about 20 miles from Orlando.
It marks the first passenger service at the airport in three years since start-up Skybus Airlines went belly up after just one month.
“This is a real legitimate airline,” said Wil Davis, who owns the Gary Jet Center at the airport. “It’s the first legitimate one we’ve had. The others were start-ups with illusions of grandeur.”
Allegiant stays focused on its bottom line. The company’s stock price was $32.14 in 2007 and this week it traded at $53.14 a share. Its 2011 operating revenue was up 17.4 percent. The company ranked ninth this year in Forbes’ Best Small Companies and Allegiant was named one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Fastest-Growing Companies.”
Allegiant spokeswoman Jessica Wheeler says Allegiant isn’t like other airlines.
“We do things differently than legacy carriers,” said Wheeler. “We’re a full service company — we can offer hotels, show tickets, cruises. We can bundle the whole vacation package. We only do nonstop — don’t connect flights. We’re completely focused on leisure travel — a simple plan get people to go on vacation.
Wheeler said Allegiant’s business model is flexible to adapt to demands. “We have people and one of their jobs is to pay attention to what’s happening in the market, like a big event or spring break.”
It’s apparently not flexible on boarding times. Last month, published accounts reported about 30 passengers already ticketed for a flight from Lafayette, La., to Las Vegas got left behind when the airline closed its ticket counter 45 minutes before departure. Wheeler said that’s the airline’s strict policy.
Gary/Chicago Airport Board Authority member Bob Poparad, of Porter, purchased the first two tickets for Wednesday’s flight back in December when Allegiant announced it was coming to Gary.
“Everybody I talk to is excited,” said Poparad. “A lot of people here are very enthused. They’re a legitimate business. They’re not Hooters. They’re well-run and financed. I think the people will come.”
Interim airport director Steve Landry says the airport is ready. Landry said there’s been weekly teleconferences with Allegiant which hired the Gary Jet Center to process passengers and baggage and ground service.
“We’ve been preparing the terminal building, putting up banners and making sure the ticket counters reflect Allegiant will be there.”
Reach reporter Carole Carlson at 648-3154.
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