Allegiant Travel Co., the parent company of Allegiant Air, has announced plans to establish an aircraft base at Provo Airport (PVU). The Las Vegas-based company said it will invest approximately $95 million to establish the new base of operations, creating at least 157 new, high-wage jobs.
Allegiant, which currently operates eight non-stop routes out of Provo, focuses on linking travelers in small-to-medium cities to leisure destinations, plans to begin its base operations in Provo on Nov. 16.
“We’re delighted to grow alongside Provo, a market with phenomenal growth and convenient access to some of Utah’s most treasured destinations,” said Keith Hansen, Allegiant’s vice president of government affairs. “Allegiant understands the value of Provo Airport. Building on the success of eight existing routes at PVU, our investment means having locally based aircraft and crews, opening the door for future new destination opportunities for residents.”
Allegiant began operating at PVU in 2013 and operates routes to Austin and Houston, Texas; St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida; Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona; and Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Orange County, California. To date, Allegiant has flown more than 700,000 passengers through Provo, the company said.
“Allegiant Air has found a following with their unique brand of travel focused on low-cost, nonstop flights to popular destinations without the hassle of layovers and connections,” said Brian Torgersen, interim Provo Airport manager. “We are pleased to launch a new era of travel at the Provo Airport, with Allegiant’s base operations expansion being key to our future success.”
Allegiant, which employs more than 4,300 across the U.S., plans to immediately begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and ground personnel to support the operations.