Allegiant adds another Florida route in Pittsburgh

Megan Guza, The Tribune-Review, Greensburg
·2 min read

Jun. 29—Budget airline Allegiant has added another nonstop flight from Pittsburgh to coastal Florida, airline officials said Tuesday.

The flight, which will begin Nov. 11, is from Pittsburgh International Airport to Melbourne Orlando International Airport in Melbourne, Fla.

The airport is about 50 miles southeast of Orlando and just across the Indiana River from a long stretch of barrier islands, home to places like Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral and Paradise Beach.

The route from Pittsburgh to Melbourne is one of 10 new routes to four new cities announced by the airline. It is the only Pittsburgh route among the 10. Nashville and Concord, N.C., will also get routes to Melbourne.

"Now more than ever, travelers choose to fly Allegiant because we get them directly to their destination without the hassle of layovers or connections," Drew Wells, Allegiant's senior vice president of revenue and planning, said in a statement. "We think they appreciate our unique brand of convenient, affordable nonstop service and we're excited to offer Pittsburgh residents another option for their travel needs."

The Florida flight is among several new routes to and from Pittsburgh announced by the airline in 2021. In February, the airline announced a new route from Pittsburgh to Key West. Those flights began June 3.

In late May, Allegiant announced flights from Pittsburgh to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, which begin Aug. 13, and flights to Norfolk were added earlier this year, too. The airline will offer limited flights to Rapid City Regional Airport in South Dakota in August specifically for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which runs Aug. 5 to 14.

Bryan Dietz, Pittsburgh International's vice president of air service development, called Allegiant a great partner to the airport.

"This announcement marks 18 destinations served from Pittsburgh by Allegiant — including five new announced routes in 2021 alone," he said. "As the industry recovers, this is another testament to the strength of our market."

The airline has reported a steady increase in passengers since the start of the year: fewer than 550,000 in January compared to more than 1 million in May — about a 47% increase.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .