Allegiant planning more Cedar Rapids flights

Allegiant Air is planning to add flights between Cedar Rapids and destinations in Arizona, Florida, and Nevada to meet projected travel demand in coming months.

'To account for spring break travel, there will be an increase in flight frequency from Cedar Rapids to Tampa Bay, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Phoenix/Mesa,” said Brandon Myers of Allegiant Travel Co., corporate parent of Allegiant Air. 'We know February and March are popular travel months for Cedar Rapids residents.”

Allegiant provides more non-stop destinations from Cedar Rapids than any other airline. Micah Lillard of Allegiant Travel said Cedar Rapids has more non-stop destinations than any other origination city served by the carrier.

'We are really happy to have such a strong presence in Cedar Rapids,” Lillard said. 'We couldn't be happier with the partnership we have with the airport as well as the community.”

Heather Wilson, director of marketing and communication for The Eastern Iowa Airport, said the additional flights will be welcomed in Cedar Rapids.

'Any time Allegiant adds flights or destinations, it helps our passenger numbers across the board,” Wilson said. 'Any time the airline puts seats in this market, we are able to sell them.”

Allegiant launched non-stop, seasonal jet service between Cedar Rapids and Los Angeles on June 6. The flights ended on Sept. 8, but Wilson said the flights are expected to resume this summer.

'The Los Angeles flights were exceptional. They outperformed Allegiant's predictions,” Wilson said. 'At this point, the flights will probably stay seasonal. They have found that L.A. is a very seasonal market for them.”

Wilson said Eastern Iowa air travelers are hoping Allegiant will consider direct flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where many people have second homes.

'Our flights to the southeast are doing phenomenally well,” she said. 'We're hoping to convince Allegiant that we're a viable market for them.”