Allegiant to begin six routes from Gulf Shores starting in 2025: ‘this is a game changer for this city’

By John Sharp | jsharp@al.com

Allegiant Air announced Tuesday it will begin commercial air service in May 2025 from Gulf Shores, offering six new destinations at the same time the coastal Alabama city is set to complete an $8 million temporary commercial passenger terminal.

The announcement from the Las Vegas-based airline company that is considered the largest of the low-cost commercial airlines in the U.S., occurred shortly before an event that was held inside a hangar at the Gulf Shores International Airport.

“This is a game changer for this city,” said Jesse Fosnaugh, who took over as director at the Gulf Shores airport about a month ago.

Said Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft, “To come in here and start with six destinations is a jump start. It’s not an ease-in and a little start. It’s such a delight that we have this opportunity.”

The announcement was also the first time that Allegiant Air announced new destinations coinciding at the same time that a city was beginning commercial airline service in about “eight to 10 years,” according to the company’s vice-president of planning and revenue, Kristen Schilling-Gonzales.

“We are confident in the team here that they know how to set up an airport and get it ready to go for a commercial airport in six months,” she said.

New destinations

The Gulf Shores announcement was part of a company-wide expansion of 44 new nonstop routes, including 11 routes to three new cities: Gulf Shores, Colorado Springs, and Columbia, South Carolina.

The company’s announcement for Gulf Shores includes two year-round routes, and four that will be more seasonal. Each of the six flights will occur twice weekly, likely running from Wednesday to Sunday.

The announcement includes:

Cincinnati, Ohio via Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) – beginning May 22, 2025, with one-way fares as low as $59. Schilling-Gonzales said the flights to CVG will take place on a year-round schedule.

Belleville, Illinois via MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) – beginning May 23, 2025, with one-way fares as low as $49. The airport is east of downtown St. Louis, and the flights will also take place on a year-round schedule.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park/Knoxville, Tennessee via McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) – beginning May 21, 2025, with one-way fares as low as $49.

Houston, Texas via William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) – beginning May 22, 2025, with one-way fares as low as $49.

Bentonville/Fayetteville, Arkansas via Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) – beginning May 22, 2025, with one-way fares as low as $49.

Kansas City, Missouri via Kansas City International Airport (MCI) – beginning May 24, 2025, with one-way fares as low as $59.

The airline notes that introductory, one-ware fares include limited seats and dates, and are not available on all flights. Flights must be purchased by Nov. 20 for travel by July 25, 2025, and the prices displayed include taxes, carrier charges, government fees as well as optional baggage charges and additional restrictions. For more details, optional services and baggage fees, visit Allegiant.com.

Terminal and preparation

The introduction of the new flights comes with an aggressive timeline for a construction project that is not expected to wrap up until early May 2025.

The $8 million, two-gate 17,500-square-foot terminal isn’t expected to be completed until around the same time the first flights depart Gulf Shores.

“It is (tight) and are wanting to start the operations in latter part of May and we have to speed this up,” Craft said.

The Gulf Shores City Council authorized a $3 million loan to support the terminal’s construction in August. Approximately $5 million of the terminal’s funding came from the Biden Administration’s signature policy proposal called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Craft and others said the evolution of the airport -- long a popular destination for private, charter flights -- is connected to years of additional grant awards from federal and state sources. Notable achievements included approximately $5 million in federal grant money secured by former U.S. Rep. Bradly Byrne for the construction of a landing pad to accommodate larger, commercial aircraft. And a $6.1 million, 95-foot-tall air traffic control tower that was completed in 2021 and is viewed as critical toward starting commercial air service in Gulf Shores, was financed solely through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act approved in 2020.

Vic Roberts, who has been on the Gulf Shores Airport Authority since the group’s inception in 1983, credited the infrastructure bill and support from the state toward getting the city’s commercial service moving forward.

“The (Federal Aviation Administration) and the state have been good to us,” Roberts said.

Aside from the terminal project, other issues need to come together. Approximately 50 new people will need to be hired before next May to accommodate the airport’s activities. Additionally, officials say preparations are still needed to coordinate the coastal area’s lodging businesses with shuttle services to and from the airport. Also, ride share, and taxi services will need to also be aligned to the new service.

“We’re working on shuttle strategies going forward,” said Craft. “My personal opinion we should be able to work with our (rental) accommodations with folks flying in, and picking them up, and take them back and once they are here, they can get a ride share to get around. The ride share (companies) will react to the need. The shuttle opportunities will react. We have a lot of taxi franchises in the city and a lot more are expected. When the people are here (from the new flights), businesses like that will show up.”

Fosnaugh said the goal for the Airport Authority is to promote the air service, get enough employees ready to support it and work with rental car companies about getting located into Gulf Shores.

“It’s going to be boots on the groups and developing a system where we can get people and aircraft and shuttles,” he said. “It will be a turn-key type of things. We want easy-in and easy out.”

Fosnaugh, who arrived at Gulf Shores last month from an airport in Springfield, Mo., said the Gulf Shores facility benefits from its location.

“There is no destination I’ve ever flown into that is only two miles to the beach. It will be streamlined and great for our customers,” he said.

Craft said he believes the airport will be a boon for the Midwest destinations and visitors who flock to the coastal beaches annually. He said the presence of the airport will shorten trips, and lead to longer stays and weekend visits for more people in the Midwest, bolstering the coastal economy.

“It will add on a lot to our economy more so than we already have,” Craft said. “It gets people here for shorter stays, and the folks who live 11 hours away, they will commit to coming back on the weekends. That will be a big impact.”

The news about new flights out of Gulf Shores captured the attention of officials in the markets where the flights will occur, including in Knoxville -- home to the University of Tennessee.

Glenn Jacobs, the mayor of Knox County, Tenn. -- who is best known as the professional wrestler, Kane, and is a member of the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame -- said the announcement is a boon for their region’s airport.

“It’s an exciting time at McGhee Tyson Airport with more carriers and routes coming to Knoxville, as well as major expansions to parking and other plans,” Jacobs said. “We’re especially pleased with a direct to Gulf Shores, a popular getaway for many folks in East Tennessee.”

Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, in a statement, praised the new routes connecting Gulf Shores to Hobby Airport, which is approximately 10 miles from the city’s downtown epicenter.

“This new service will provide Houstonians with direct access to the stunning beaches and rich culture of the Gulf Coast, while also inviting Alabama travelers to explore everything Houston has to offer,” he said. “Just 10 miles from Downtown Houston—the epicenter of arts, cultural experiences and world-class dining—Hobby Airport is perfectly positioned to welcome visitors eager to experience our city’s vibrant energy. This connection enriches both communities and bolsters economic and cultural ties. We’re proud to support routes that foster cultural exchange and strengthen regional ties.”

READ MORE: Allegiant to begin six routes from Gulf Shores starting in 2025: ‘this is a game changer for this city’ - al.com

Ukraine Uses U.S.-Provided Long-Range Missiles in Russia for First Time

Ukraine fired long-range missiles provided by the U.S. into Russia for the first time Tuesday, posing a test for Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow’s threats to retaliate for such a move.

Ukraine used the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, to strike an ammunition storage facility in Russia’s Bryansk region, a Ukrainian official said. The strike came just days after President Biden gave approval for their use.

“This is a signal that they want escalation,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in response to the attack on Tuesday, describing it as a new phase in the war.

Russia has warned for months that use of such long range missiles against its territory would amount to an attack by NATO and lead to a clear response, but it hasn’t specified what that would be. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, in an action that appeared to be timed to send a further warning to the West.

In Washington, the White House dismissed the Russian move as more saber rattling, noting that Moscow’s revision of its nuclear doctrine had been expected. 

The U.S. had warned Russia weeks ago that its use of North Korean troops against Ukraine was a “significant escalation” in the war and that Washington would respond. 

The Ukrainian Armed Forces said Tuesday that they had struck an arsenal near the town of Karachev at 2:30 a.m., causing 12 secondary explosions and detonations. The Ukrainian official confirmed that the strike was carried out using ATACMS.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses had shot down five ATACMS missiles launched by Ukraine against a military target in Bryansk region. The fragments of a sixth missile struck by a Russian interceptor rocket hit the military target causing fires on its territory, it said, but didn’t result in casualties.

ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile system fired from a mobile launcher vehicle, can strike between 100 and 190 miles away, depending on the model of the system.

The Biden administration had long declined to authorize Ukraine’s use of ATACMS in Russia, citing concerns of escalation. But the White House gave the greenlight after thousands of North Korean troops were deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Moscow has amassed more than 50,000 troops seeking to oust Ukrainian forces that seized territory in a lightning offensive in August.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia could ultimately deploy as many as 100,000 North Korean troops in Ukraine, where it is steadily gaining territory in the east. 

Read the rest of the story here: Ukraine Strikes Russia With U.S.-Provided ATACMS for First Time - WSJ