Allegiant adds 5 new domestic routes that aren't operated by any other airline

Allegiant Air is out with its latest expansion.

The Las Vegas-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to launch five new domestic routes, as seen in Cirium schedules. (Allegiant had announced the routes in late May, but didn't actually file them in global airline timetables until this weekend.)

The new routes commence later this summer and connect the following airports:

• Beginning Aug. 29: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and South Bend International Airport (SBN) in South Bend, Indiana
• Beginning Sept. 4: McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) near Knoxville, Tennessee, and Memphis International Airport (MEM)
• Beginning Oct. 2: Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF) in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Appleton International Airport (ATW) in Appleton, Wisconsin
• Beginning Oct. 3: GUF and Des Moines International Airport (DSM); TYS and Key West International Airport (EYW) in Key West, Florida

As you can see, these routes are far from the typical new flights that major U.S. airlines like to launch. Allegiant's unique ultra-low-cost point-to-point business model means that the airline seeks to connect secondary and tertiary cities with nonstop flights to popular vacation hubs.

In this case, the airline is significantly increasing service to popular beaches across Alabama and Florida, and to the Smoky Mountains via Knoxville.

In fact, the airline already has a pretty sizable presence in many of the key gateways that are receiving more service. For instance, Allegiant is the only carrier operating at Alabama's Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF). The airline will soon offer eight destinations from GUF, quickly turning this airport into a fast-growing outstation for Allegiant.

Meanwhile, the airline has operating bases in Appleton, Des Moines, Fort Lauderdale and Knoxville, meaning that all of those cities are already well served by Allegiant. This should also make it easier for Allegiant to market and generate demand for the new flights, as the carrier already has a base of flyers in these existing markets.

Speaking of demand generation, the airline is out with some pretty attractive introductory fares. TYS-MEM service starts at $39 each way, while flights between TYS and EYW start at $49. All the other routes start at $59 each way.

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Interestingly, this route expansion includes a rare intrastate route for Allegiant, and one that hasn't been flown in over a decade. Allegiant's 342-mile TYS-MEM flight will be the first time these two cities have been connected by air since Southern Airways Express flew this hourlong service back in May 2015, Cirium schedules show. Before that, Northwest Airlines (and postmerger, Delta Air Lines) had operated this service for years from its hub in Memphis.

In fact, this will be Allegiant's first-ever intra-Tennessee route, according to Cirium schedules. Without this flight, travelers would need to take a nearly six-hour drive across Interstate 40 to get between the two cities.

The real question, however, is how many people are actually making this drive today — and how many are willing to take a nonstop flight instead. Department of Transportation data shows that just over 10 passengers a day were willing to take a connecting itinerary between Knoxville and Memphis last year, but that number only jumped to just over 20 passengers a day when nonstop flights were offered a decade ago.

As such, it'll be interesting to see how Allegiant fares in all these new markets, especially on its first-ever intra-Tennessee route.

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