Allegiant Begins New Nonstop Flights Between Mesa, Arizona and Oakland International Airport
--The First Flight Ever Between Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and the San Francisco Bay Area --
Oakland, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2011) -- Allegiant today announced new nonstop service from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to Oakland International Airport (OAK) beginning Jan. 18, 2012. This will be Allegiant's third destination from OAK.
The 150-passenger MD-80 aircraft will operate daily except Tuesday. The new flight is in addition to their existing service to Bellingham International Airport (BLI), a gateway to British Columbia, Canada, and Eugene International Airport (EUG). Like BLI and EUG, the flights will be marketed to inbound San Francisco Bay Area tourists purchasing packages through Allegiant Travel.
"OAK is thrilled to be Allegiant's preferred, value-added gateway to all the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer. From San Francisco and Oakland to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, visitors to the Bay Area will find OAK offers great access and easy-to-use, customer-friendly facilities. Together with the flights from Bellingham and Eugene, the new Phoenix-Mesa flights will significantly enhance the Bay Area's tourism economy as visitors enjoy our world-class hotels, restaurants and attractions." said Deborah Ale Flint, Director of Aviation for the Port of Oakland, which owns and operates Oakland International Airport.
Flights begin Jan. 18, 2012, making it the first new route of the year for OAK. Allegiant operates at OAK's Terminal 1.
Low-cost Allegiant moved its flight operations to OAK from San Francisco International Airport in 2009 citing the East Bay airport's lower operating costs, accessibility to downtown San Francisco tourist attractions, and on-time reliability. The move has proved popular as Allegiant has added increased frequencies, added new destinations and has the highest load factor of any airline serving OAK with 94% of seats typically occupied. Allegiant is the only air carrier to offer nonstop flights between the Bay Area and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway and Bellingham, Washington.
About Allegiant
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ: ALGT), is focused on linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg. Through its subsidiary, Allegiant, the Company operates a low-cost, high-efficiency, all-jet passenger airline offering air travel both on a stand-alone basis and bundled with hotel rooms, rental cars and other travel-related services. Please visit www.allegiant.com.
About the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports nearly 50,000 jobs in the region and over 800,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.
