Allegiant Airlines has informed Springfield-Branson National Airport it will suspend its flights between Springfield and Los Angeles.
In mid-January, Allegiant plans to suspend its nonstop, twice-weekly flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport. SGF spokesman Kent Boyd said Allegiant indicated it will suspend flights to and from LAX due to the airport's operational issues, construction taking place and shortages in gates and ticket counters.
"Allegiant has told us that they're looking at other options. They haven't said they're looking at other airports, but that's my assumption," Boyd said, pointing to nearby California airports in Santa Barbara, Burbank, Orange County, Long Beach and Ontario. "Most of them are probably not nearly as congested or nearly as much of a headache as LAX."
Allegiant began suspending flights to LAX earlier this fall at airports in other cities nationwide, and SGF is one of the last to go, according to the Springfield airport's
website.
Boyd said there are other, less direct options to fly to Los Angeles via SGF's three other carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Air Lines. He said the most obvious route would be to take an American flight to Dallas, and from there, take a flight to Los Angeles.
In October, passengers at SGF totaled 66,770, a 0.4 percent decrease compared to 67,048 in the same month last year, according to data provided by Boyd.
Boyd said the 2011 passenger total at the Springfield airport was 731,395, and of those fliers, he estimated about 13,260 traveled between Springfield and Los Angeles. Boyd said he expects SGF will see a dip in passengers when Allegiant suspends its flights to LAX.
"Undoubtedly, we'll lose some passenger count," he said. "It depends on how long it's suspended."[[In-content Ad]]
