Las Vegas-Based Allegiant Outlays Business Strategy Following Sun Country Acquisition

Posted on: May 14, 2026, 10:15h. 

Last updated on: May 14, 2026, 10:16h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Allegiant Airlines’ Las Vegas presence is expanding with Sun Country
  • Allegiant acquired Sun Country for $1.5 billion
  • Allegiant executives are currently focused on stability — not further growth

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Airlines is expanding its presence at Harry Reid International.

Allegiant Airlines Las Vegas Sun Country
Allegiant Stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders’ NFL stadium sponsored by Allegiant Airlines, is pictured in September 2020. Las Vegas-based Allegiant has wrapped up its acquisition of Sun County Airlines. (Image: Shutterstock)

This week, Allegiant closed its $1.5 billion cash and stock acquisition of Sun Country Airlines. The deal for the Minneapolis-based ultra-low-cost carrier was announced in January.

Harry Reid, the primary airport that brings guests and business travelers to Las Vegas casinos and its convention centers, reports that Allegiant accounted for the seventh-most passengers by airline in March. The airline was responsible for 164,566 arriving and departing passengers at LAS.

Sun Country was a distant 11th, with only 23,893 passengers. Nonetheless, Allegiant’s acquisition of the business should increase its Las Vegas service and passenger count in the months ahead. 

Allegiant Focused on Stability 

Following the demise of Spirit Airlines, which was Allegiant’s primary foe, Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson tells CNBC that the company is focused on stability amid a challenging operational environment caused by rising oil prices stemming from the Iran war.

Our model was built to protect margins and not chase growth,” Anderson said.

Following the Sun County purchase, Allegiant serves 175 cities with more than 650 routes. When demand is lower, Anderson said the airline will park planes and “pull capacity back.”

Higher jet fuel costs are being passed on to consumers, and the fare hikes, along with recently increased costlier baggage fees on all major US airlines, are expected to ground some travel plans. That, of course, isn’t good news for Las Vegas.

According to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, visitor volume in 2025 was down 7.5% from 2024. There were more than 3.12 million fewer people who visited Las Vegas last year.

Things have only slightly improved in 2026. Through March, visitor volume is up 0.4%, with about 39,400 additional visitors in town during the first quarter.

Las Vegas’ 2026 guest traffic has been largely drive-in, as the LAS passenger count in Q1 was 5% lower at approximately 12.5 million travelers. That’s a decline of nearly 678,000 people from the first quarter of 2025.

Las Vegas Airline Prices

With seemingly no end in sight for the Iran war, high jet fuel prices are slashing airline outlooks.

Last month, Southwest Airlines, the largest servicer of Las Vegas, forecasted second-quarter earnings of around 50 cents per share. That was below analysts’ previous consensus estimate of 55 cents.

Southwest declined to update its full-year business projections, with CEO Robert Jordan telling investors and analysts that adjusting its guidance “would not be productive at this time.”

Fuel prices are much higher. And if that is sustained, it will require higher ticket prices to offset that increase in fuel,” Jordan conceded.

Southwest served 1.9 million passengers in Las Vegas in April. Delta was a distant second at 456,000 passengers.