Allegiant Airlines is adding 6 Boeing 757 aircraft to its fleet for Hawaiian operations with 2 starting in the near future and the remaining aircraft being added in 2011 and 2012.   Some are surprised by this development but it should hardly come as a surprise since it does fit their business model nicely.

First and foremost, Allegiant is a leisure airline flying point to point operations from smaller towns to leisure destinations.  While they’re not big on even having focus cities, they do have them and they aren’t allergic to concentrating flights into something that makes a profit.  Allegiant also likes proven aircraft that have a relatively low cost to purchase and a low cost to operate.  The 757 fits that model just fine. 

Certainly these flights will depart west coast cities but unlike many, I suspect it will be 2 or 3 larger markets and probably from major airports.  I suspect that the LA area, the San Francisco area and Seattle (Bellingham) will be the “gateway” cities for these flights.  It won’t be Phoenix, Las Vegas or even Salt Lake City because while they’re nominally in range, there would be issues with hot and high operations in the summertime that would possibly weight restrict these flights.  No, it’ll be departure cities that are low, relatively cool and with nice thick humid air. 

My guess is that they’ll start in the LA area where Allegiant is already sending quite a few flights and probably it’ll begin with 2 frequencies a day to Hawaii from there.  Perhaps one to Honolulu and one to Maui.  That will allow them to become accustomed to operating the flights (probably 1 round trip per day per aircraft) and at the same time support the aircraft with staff and mechanics. 

Next up likely will be Bellingham (just take a look at how many destinations Allegiant flies from Bellingham already for those penny pinching Canandians) and then perhaps from SF/Oakland. 

Supposedly these are one airline aircraft with Rolls Royce engines so support and maintenance should be no problem and I’ll bet that heavy maintenance gets done by AA just as that happens for their MD-80 aircraft now.  Some may wonder why not the 767 but I think Allegiant remains interested in keeping their aircraft full and properly utilized.  The 757 should result in high load factors, slightly lower operating costs than the 767 and it is an aircraft they can potentially use for flights within the continental US should they wish to.

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