Allegiant gets FAA approval to fly Boeing 757-200

Allegiant Air, which serves The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids with direct flights to Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix-Mesa and Tampa-St. Petersburg, is a step closer to offering flights to Hawaii from the United States mainland.

The Las Vegas-based airline, which caters to leisure travelers, has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate Boeing 757-200 aircraft.  

Allegiant's operating fleet consists of  51 MD-80 aircraft and a single Boeing 757-200. The company owns three additional 757-200 aircraft, which are being leased to two European carriers until mid-2012. 

Allegiant Travel, the corporate parent of Allegiant Air, has committed to the purchase of two additional 757-200s, which is expected to occur during the fourth quarter of 2011.  These aircraft are expected to be introduced into Allegiant's fleet during the first quarter of 2012.

The Boeing 757-200 is a narrow body, twin-engine, medium-range jetliner.  Each 757-200 will hold 217 passengers in a single-class, three-by-three seat configuration.  

This is an important day for Allegiant,” Andrew Levy, Allegiant Travel  President, said in a statement announcing the FAA approval.  "The addition of the Boeing 757-200 will play an important role in our company's future growth.  Our operations team worked long and hard to ensure the completion of this certification and we thank them for their dedication in achieving this important goal." 

Levy said Allegiant's next focus will be to gain extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards 180 certification and flag carrier status from the FAA for the Boeing 757-200.  Both are required for flying to Hawaii, which the company anticipates achieving in the summer of 2012.