Contact: Beckie McKinley
Marketing Director
Tri-State Airport Authority
304-453-6165 ext. 15
bmckinley@tristateairport.com
Non-Stop Service to Ft. Lauderdale
Returns to Tri-State Airport in November
Huntington, WV---- Allegiant Air announced today that it will resume its low-cost, nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Huntington Tri-State Airport on November 20, 2008.
“This is great news for the tri-state community,” Larry Salyers, Airport Director of Tri-State Airport Authority said. “We appreciate Allegiant’s willingness to listen to our customers’ requests and giving us a second opportunity to show that our community really does want this flight. We would also like to thank our many loyal passengers who supported and will continue to support the service as well as those that signed a petition in an effort to restore the flight.”
Service to Fort Lauderdale initially began from Huntington on November 16, 2007. The airline had previously announced on July 18, 2008 that the Fort Lauderdale service would be ending, and the airport has been without service since the end of August. “Within a matter of days of the last Fort Lauderdale flight, over 500 Allegiant customers signed a petition at the airport, indicating that they were willing to pay a somewhat higher airfare to help offset the airline’s increased operating costs if the service could be restored,” stated Salyers. “Most passengers cited the convenience factor and having direct ties to the South Florida area as the main reasons for wanting to see the service remain at Tri-State.”
According to a press release from Allegiant Air, the petition and strong passenger boardings were key considerations in bringing back the flight. “Due to persistent and persuasive community efforts, stronger than anticipated summer bookings and significant decreases in fuel costs, we will continue to offer the Huntington community convenient and inexpensive access to sunny South Florida,” Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., President, CEO and Chairman for Allegiant said.
Effective November 20, Allegiant Air will provide nonstop flights to Fort Lauderdale on Thursdays and Sundays:
Outbound - Depart HTS at 5:10 p.m. and arrive at FLL at 7:30 p.m.
Inbound - Depart FLL at 2:05 p.m. and arrive at HTS at 4:30 p.m.
Special fares are now available on the airline’s website at www.allegiantair.com or through the reservation center at 702-505-8888. Allegiant also offers nonstop service from Huntington to Orlando and the Tampa Bay area.
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