Airline announces nine new routes to airport

SARASOTA — Allegiant announced nine new nonstop routes to Sarasota via Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

The routes are from Asheville, N.C.; Baltimore; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Harrisburg, Pa.; Nashville, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; and Syracuse, N.Y., according to a press release.

“We’re excited to announce this unprecedented expansion in one of the newest destinations in our network — Sarasota,” says Allegiant Vice President of Planning and Revenue Drew Wells in a statement.

The new year-round routes will start in 2019:

• Asheville via Asheville Regional Airport starts Feb. 22 
• Baltimore via Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport starts Feb. 22
• Harrisburg via Harrisburg International Airport starts April 3
• Syracuse via Syracuse Hancock International Airport starts April 3
• Cleveland via Cleveland Hopkins International Airport starts April 4
• Columbus via Rickenbacker International Airport starts April 4
• Richmond via Richmond International Airport starts April 4
• Grand Rapids via Gerald R. Ford International Airport starts April 5
• Nashville via Nashville International Airport starts April 5

The routes will operate twice-weekly and bring nearly 160,000 passengers to the Sarasota-Bradenton area annually, a release says.

“We are very pleased with the success of Allegiant at SRQ,” says Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo in a statement. "The airport has experienced substantial growth since Allegiant began service in April. The addition of nine new cities will provide our community with many more ultra-low-cost options and we look forward to the continued growth and success of Allegiant at SRQ.”

Las Vegas-based Allegiant started with one aircraft and one route in 1999. The company has grown to over 80 aircraft and more than 300 routes across the country.