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New York / Bloomberg
Allegiant Airlines is taking advantage of a regulatory decision lifting some flight restrictions at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, starting service to four destinations in November.
It will be Allegiant’s first flights in the New York City market, said Lukas Johnson, a vice president for parent Allegiant Travel Co. The carrier will fly between Newark and Cincinnati; Savannah, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee. Rival ultra-discounters Spirit Airlines Inc. and Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. serve New York’s LaGuardia airport, where flights remain limited.
Johnson said Allegiant won’t compete for business travelers with United Continental Holdings Inc., which operates a hub for domestic and international flights at Newark Liberty. Ultra-discount carriers have low base fares and charge for extras like an assigned seat, carry-on bags and printing a ticket at the airport.
“We are coming from four areas that historically have been high-price markets,†Johnson said. “Introductory fares of $39 and $41 certainly speak to a customer segment not being served at all.†The new service will make Allegiant the only ultra-low-cost airline flying from Newark, the airline said on Tuesday.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in April it would allow airlines to apply for new service at Newark for the first time since heavy delays forced the agency to limit operations there in 2008.
Allegiant will fly to Cincinnati and Asheville four times a week and to Savannah and Knoxville three times a week. Separately, the airline will begin flights at Ogdensburg, N.Y., near the Canadian border, in October and start ski-season service at Denver starting in December.