Allegiant Air History: Small Cities to Sun Country – Airline Employee Shop

Allegiant Air History

Allegiant Air began as a small Fresno startup and built a big business flying vacationers from smaller cities to the sun. Here's a short history of Allegiant, plus the Allegiant Air collection that celebrates it.

WestJet Express and a fresh start (1997-2001)

Allegiant was founded in January 1997 as WestJet Express. A trademark dispute, and the likeness to Canada's WestJet, led to the Allegiant Air name. The airline won its federal certificates in June 1998 and began scheduled service that October, flying Douglas DC-9 jets between Las Vegas and Fresno, California. Higher fuel costs pushed it into Chapter 11 in December 2000. Its main creditor, Maurice J. "Maury" Gallagher Jr., took control and moved the airline to Las Vegas. Allegiant left bankruptcy in late 2001.

The MD-80 years (2002-2018)

From 2002 Allegiant swapped its DC-9s for used McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. It built a simple model: nonstop leisure flights from small and mid-sized cities to places like Las Vegas and Florida, with hotel and car packages for sale. Parent company Allegiant Travel went public on the NASDAQ in December 2006 under the symbol ALGT. In 2010 Allegiant bought six used Boeing 757s for planned Hawaii flying, which it later dropped.

New jets and a stadium (2012-2025)

In 2012 Allegiant began moving to the Airbus A320 family, starting with used A319s, and in 2016 it bought its first new A320s straight from Airbus. The last MD-80 retired in November 2018. In August 2019 Allegiant signed a 20-year naming rights deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for Allegiant Stadium. In January 2022 it ordered 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets.

Adding Sun Country (2026)

In January 2026 Allegiant agreed to buy Sun Country Airlines in a deal worth about $1.5 billion. The purchase closed on May 13, 2026, creating a group of about 195 aircraft serving nearly 175 destinations. The two airlines keep flying separately until they hold a single operating certificate, and the combined airline is planned to fly under the Allegiant name. Headquarters remain in Las Vegas.

A few things collectors love

  • The home of the Las Vegas Raiders carries the airline's name: Allegiant Stadium.
  • Allegiant's MD-80s flew vacationers for about 16 years before the last one retired in 2018.
  • The airline's very first name, WestJet Express, lasted only a short time.

Shop Allegiant Air

Browse Allegiant Air logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the Allegiant Air collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for the frequent flyer in your life.

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