Area travelers will be able to fly from Minot to Las Vegas on Allegiant Air for as little as $70 one way when the nonstop flights begin Oct. 22.
Allegiant and the City of Minot announced the new service at a news conference Wednesday at the airport.
The flights will come and go twice weekly, with service Mondays and Fridays. Flights will depart Minot International Airport at 12:10 p.m. and arrive at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas at 1 p.m. Flights will leave Las Vegas at 6:50 a.m. and arrive in Minot at 11:30 a.m. All flight times are local.
The community has been working for the past three years to bring a low-cost carrier to Minot.
Mayor Curt Zimbelman said one of the most common questions he's been getting from the public is "When are we going to get Allegiant Air?"
"Now we have them and I hope that our community will use them. I am sure that we will get Canadians down here as well as people in the region so I am looking forward to it," he said.
Zimbelman said the city now will be coaxing Allegiant to add service to Phoenix or Mesa, Ariz.
Sabrina LoPiccolo, public relations/promotions manager for Allegiant, said the planned flights could be just a start.
"If the community really supports us and we feel there's a great need, we will start adding additional service," she said.
LoPiccolo said the airline expects to sustain strong passenger traffic from Bismarck even with the service to Minot. Many Minot area residents looking to go to Las Vegas or Phoenix have driven to Bismarck to board Allegiant.
Allegiant will set up in the Minot airport terminal in a corner office near United Airlines. Airport director Andrew Solsvig said the airline has minimal space needs at this time so the terminal can accommodate the new service with minor modifications. Allegiant is in the process of arranging for ground handling and counter service.
Tickets went on sale for the Vegas flights Wednesday.
"Not only are we an airline, we are a travel company," LoPiccolo said. "We are also going to be able to fill your hotel, rental car, show tickets, everything that you need to package your vacation and make it a really quick, easy trip."
Allegiant Air was founded in 1997, operating its first flights in 1999 between Fresno, Calif., and Las Vegas. In December 2000, Allegiant filed for bankruptcy. A creditor, Maurice Gallagher Jr., gained control, restructured the airline to a low-cost model and moved the operation to Las Vegas. Gallagher remains chief executive officer.
In March 2002, Allegiant exited bankruptcy and entered a long-term contract with Harrah's to provide charter services to its casinos in Laughlin and Reno, Nev. By 2004, Allegiant was flying from 13 small cities to Las Vegas, offering bundled air and hotel vacation packages. Allegiant became a public company in December 2006.
Today Allegiant provides service to and from 70 U.S. cities and charter services throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. It operates a fleet of 47 MD-80 series aircraft. The plane providing Minot service will be a full-size, 150-seat aircraft.
