Allegiant Update

YNG forwarded me this article from the Telegram that details the progress of Allegiant. I saw it in the paper when I got it, but didn't have time to read it. Looks like Allegiant is indeed off to a great start.


Article starts here:


Nick Kotsopoulos City Hall Notebooknkotsopoulos@telegram.com

WORCESTER-Allegiant Air's service out of Worcester Regional Airport seems to have taken off during its first few months.

Julie A. Jacobson, assistant city manager for economic development and neighborhood services, said the airline's preliminary average load factor was 88 percent for flights out of Worcester and 76 percent for inbound flights.

The difference between the outbound and inbound percentages, she said, is the number of passengers who have flown to the Orlando, Fla., area and have not yet returned from extended winter vacations.

Ms. Jacobson said the airline's average load factor of 82 percent compares favorably to the industrywide average of 78 percent, for the 12-month period that ended in September.

Regarding on-time performance, Worcester Regional's on-time average in the first two months of Allegiant's service was 76.9 percent, while the average at five other major New England airports for January was 75.1 percent.

"Allegiant is exceeding national standards for load factor and meeting regional standards for on-time performance," Ms. Jacobson said.

The Las Vegas-based airline began service between Worcester and Orlando/Sanford, Fla., on Dec. 22. Before that, the last scheduled commercial air flight out of Worcester was in February 2003.

City Manager Michael V. O'Brien said an Allegiant survey of 257 passengers showed that people decided to fly out of Worcester because of ticket price, proximity and easy access to the airport.

He said the airport is drawing passengers not only from the region, but also from southern New Hampshire, Northeastern Connecticut and northern Rhode Island.

"The partnership of Massport, Allegiant and the city of Worcester continues to grown," Mr. O'Brien said. "We need to build on this by continually updating and enhancing our marketing efforts."

He added that customer surveys show the top two destinations that should be sought for additional service are Las Vegas and the West Coast. Other favored destinations are Tampa, Washington, D.C., New York City and Fort Meyers, Fla.