Allegiant adds 30 routes, 4 cities in major 2026 expansion
Allegiant Air is gearing up for a significant expansion in 2026, announcing 30 new routes that will launch over the winter, spring, and early summer months. This expansion represents the airline’s most substantial growth since the introduction of 44 new routes earlier this year. Notably, Allegiant will be adding three entirely new destinations to its network: La Crosse, Wisconsin; Columbia, Missouri; and Philadelphia. Additionally, the airline is making a comeback to Trenton, New Jersey, marking its first return to the city since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Allegiant’s strategy continues to focus on connecting leisure travelers to popular vacation destinations, primarily through secondary airports, although the new routes from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) stand out as exceptions.
Among the highlights of the expansion, Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF) in Alabama will see five new routes added, reflecting Allegiant’s commitment to enhancing service in areas with strong demand. John Wayne Airport (SNA) in California will also benefit from five new routes. Other airports gaining new connections include Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which will see four new nonstop routes, and Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) in Arizona, which will connect with three new or returning cities. Allegiant’s Chief Commercial Officer, Drew Wells, emphasized that these additions are designed to provide convenient travel options for leisure travelers and to capitalize on emerging travel patterns across the United States.
The airline’s ambitious growth plan is supported by a fleet of new Boeing 737 MAX planes, which will enable Allegiant to serve more routes efficiently. Wells has noted that the airline has identified approximately 1,400 routes that align with its business model, indicating a proactive approach to expansion in response to shifting migration patterns in the U.S. Furthermore, Allegiant is exploring enhancements to its loyalty program and the potential addition of onboard Wi-Fi, signaling a commitment to improving the overall travel experience for its customers. With this expansion, Allegiant Air is poised to solidify its position as a key player in the budget airline market, providing more travel opportunities for leisure travelers in the coming years.
Allegiant Air is plotting a major expansion in 2026.
The budget airline announced a whopping 30 new routes that will take flight over the winter, spring and early summer months next year.
This blockbuster route announcement includes three all-new cities for the Las Vegas-based ultra-low-cost carrier: La Crosse, Wisconsin; Columbia, Missouri; and Philadelphia. And Allegiant will make its return to Trenton, New Jersey, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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It’s Allegiant’s biggest expansion since last year, when it
unveiled 44 new routes
that launched earlier this year.
And it will see the airline double down on its tried-and-true business model: shuttling passengers to vacation destinations from (mostly) smaller secondary airports — though the three new routes from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) are an exception here.
“These additions provide convenient options for leisure travelers and reflect our commitment to expanding service where demand is strong,” Allegiant Chief Officer Drew Wells said in a statement announcing the news.
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Biggest winners in Allegiant’s route announcement
Among the cities Allegiant already serves, there were two big winners.
Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF) in Alabama will get five new Allegiant routes in 2026. That’s after the airline first started flying to the airport in 2025.
And John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, will get five new routes of its own.
Gulf Shores, Alabama. UCG VIA GETTY IMAGES
Other winners in Tuesday’s announcement include Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which gained four nonstop routes from cities across the country. And three new or returning cities will connect to Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), a secondary airport in the Phoenix area.
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Allegiant’s 30-route expansion
Here’s a full rundown of the 30 new routes Allegiant will launch in 2026:
Route
Launch date
La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) to AZA
Feb. 26
LSE to Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)
May 21
PHL to Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
May 21
PHL to McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville, Tennessee
May 21
PHL to Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, Michigan
May 22
Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN) to FLL
Feb. 19
TTN to Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)
Feb. 20 (last flown in 2018)
TTN to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)
Feb. 20 (last flown in 2017-18)
GUF to Eppley Airfield (OMA) in Omaha, Nebraska
May 21
GUF to Huntsville International Airport (HSV)
May 21
GUF to Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City
May 22
GUF to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
May 22
GUF to Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) in Missouri
May 22
Columbia Regional Airport (COU) in Missouri to SFB
June 3
COU to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS)
June 5
FLL to Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD)
Feb. 12
FLL to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
Feb. 12 (last flown in 2017)
FLL to Albany International Airport (ALB)
Feb. 13
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to DSM
May 22
BUR to Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
May 22
SNA to AZA
Feb. 12 (last flown in 2023)
SNA to Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco, Washington
Feb. 12
SNA to Appleton International Airport (ATW)
May 20
SNA to GRR
May 20
SNA to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
May 21
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) to Dayton International Airport (DAY)
May 22 (last flown in 2018)
MYR to Elmira Corning Regional Airport (ELM) in New York
May 22
Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI) to AZA
Feb. 13
Key West International Airport (EYW) to Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) in Columbus, Ohio
May 21
Denver International Airport (DEN) to VPS
May 21
As noted above, a handful of these routes Allegiant is adding are flights it previously operated — in most cases in the late 2010s, though there’s one (SNA-AZA) it flew as recently as 2023.
Allegiant Air Airbus A319s at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). KEVIN CARTER/GETTY IMAGES
Bottom line
Allegiant’s 2026 route announcement comes as the airline
has set its sights on growth
with the help of a
fleet of new Boeing 737 MAX planes.
Expect more of these leisure-focused routes in the years to come.
Speaking to TPG this past summer, Wells, the chief commercial officer, said the carrier has identified some 1,400 routes the airline believes “fit our mold very well.”
“Migration patterns are crazy in the U.S. People are frequently moving from one area to others, and creating new opportunities all the time,” Wells told me in July at Allegiant’s Vegas headquarters. “There’s a great opportunity for Allegiant that exists.”
Meanwhile, the budget carrier has also told TPG it’s in the early stages of
plotting a revamp to its loyalty program
. It’s also considering
adding on-board Wi-Fi to its planes.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
