Allegiant will offer nonstop flight to Fort Lauderdale from The Eastern Iowa Airport

CEDAR RAPIDS — Starting in November, Allegiant will offer nonstop flights from The Eastern Iowa Airport to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — marking the airline’s ninth nonstop flight route out of the Cedar Rapids airport.

The new flight begins Nov. 17 and, according to a company spokesman, will fly twice a week. Allegiant announced introductory fares would start at $60, for one-way.

“We are excited Allegiant is offering this new nonstop flight to Fort Lauderdale, which is a key destination for Eastern Iowa,” said s statement Tuesday from Marty Lenss, director of The Eastern Iowa Airport.

Initial plans called for the new Cedar Rapids flight to be offered year-round, but Allegiant considers all of its routes to be seasonal because its business model is built on offering low-cost airfare during vacation seasons, the spokesman said.

The new flight was part of a broader announcement by Allegiant that it also would be adding nonstop flights out of several other airports in other states to destinations in Florida and Arizona.

“We continue to see historically high demand from leisure travelers, so we are thrilled to add these routes to our network and build on the success we’ve had in these markets,” said a statement from Drew Wells, Allegiant’s senior vice president and chief revenue officer. “As travelers look for warm winter getaways and a chance to connect with family and friends, we know they will appreciate the low-cost, nonstop options offered by Allegiant.”

Overall, airlines operating out The Eastern Iowa Airport offer 18 nonstop flights.