From
left, Allegiant Air pilot Eric O'Neal, Lehigh-Northampton Airport
Authority Executive Director Charles Everett and authority Chairman Tony
Iannelli attend the announcement today at Lehigh Valley International
Airport of a new service to southwest Florida aboard the carrier.
Photo Credit: KEVIN KUNZMANN, Express-Times
Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority Chairman Tony Iannelli knows the difference between a big and little step.
Today's announcement of Lehigh Valley International Airport’s new venture with Allegiant Air was a small step toward bigger opportunities for the airport, Iannelli said.
Allegiant Air will be the carrier for the airport’s new destination at Punta Gorda Airport near Fort Myers, Fla. Nonstop flights to and from the location will be running every Thursday and Sunday for fares as low as $99 one way starting Oct. 31.
“With a mid-size airport like us, it seems like these smaller, individual carriers are really where we’re going to make some headway, so this is a good find for us,” Iannelli said at today's announcement at the airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
The authority cited a history of success with Allegiant when discussing the choice to partner with the Las Vegas-based airline.
According to authority Executive Director Charles Everett, Allegiant Air has been a carrier within Lehigh Valley International for eight years -- and Fort Myers has been a favorable destination for locals.
“It’s a huge-demand destination for people traveling from Lehigh Valley," he said. “We had it about a year or so ago, and it had a load rate around 90 percent.”
Allegiant Travel Co. President Andrew C. Levy said in a statement that the airline’s nonstop flights to Orlando and the Tampa Bay area have also been popular with Lehigh Valley residents, making the decision to team with the airport that much easier.
Iannelli said that the new destination “will matter in the long run” for the ailing airport -- much like last week’s unveiling of an airport cafe and the planned air show on Aug. 25 and 26.
“It’s a leisure flight for the most part, but it’s the kind of little things that add up,” he said. “We need some positive bumps right now.”
Regarding previous speculation that the airport may look into adding destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America, Iannelli said nothing has materialized.
“Those are all plans, hopes and dreams, but until they’re reality, that’s exactly what they are,” he said. “It’s safe to say we’re open to anything and everything we can possibly recruit. That’s the world of aviation today.
“Carriers like Allegiant are the kind that can allow us to attain the goals that we set,” Iannelli continued. “In essence, they’re going to be our best financial partners going forward in terms of new flights, so hopefully you’ll see more of them.”
Source: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com
