Allegiant expands in Charlotte

PUNTA GORDA — Discount airline Allegiant has selected Punta Gorda to be a base of operations and plans to add flights from the Charlotte County airport.

Allegiant will base one MD-80 jet and its flight crew in Punta Gorda starting June 27. “Having a base at Punta Gorda Airport will allow us to give more of our markets access to the Southwest Florida coast and offer travelers more affordable vacation options,” says Andrew Levy, president of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co.

Punta Gorda Airport is Allegiant's ninth base of operations and the fourth in Florida. The airline specializes in flying people from small cities to leisure destinations and provides air service from Punta Gorda to Greenville, S.C., Knoxville, Tenn., and Lexington, Ky.

In conjunction with the establishment of the operations base in Charlotte County, Allegiant says it plans to start nonstop service from Punta Gorda to four additional destinations this summer: Fort Wayne, Ind.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Peoria, Ill.; and South Bend, Ind. Introductory fares will start at $75 each way.