Allegiant to fly to Hawaii in June, but not from Rockford

ROCKFORD -- Allegiant Air will soon be flying to Hawaii, but you won't be able to get there on a direct flight from Rockford.

The nonstop service to Honolulu from Las Vegas and Fresno, Calif., will not accommodate connecting flights, which would require bags to be sorted and moved between planes. The low-cost airline is not set up to do that.

"That's not something we are pursuing," spokesman Brian Davis said Tuesday.

Allegiant's inaugural flight to the Aloha State will be June 29 from Las Vegas. Fresno service begins June 29. Fares will be as low as $174 each way. The airline will make three flights a week from Las Vegas and one a week from Fresno. Davis said any additional Allegiant service to Hawaii would be limited to nonstop flights at airports west of the Rocky Mountains because they are within the range of the Boeing 757s that will be used on the route.

"The announcement of service to Hawaii is a great achievement for Allegiant," Andrew C. Levy, Allegiant president, said. "Service to Las Vegas and Fresno reflects a moderate growth plan by our company. With the addition of the four aircraft we have acquisitioned, we plan to expand service to other mainland cities in the future. We anticipate the service will be very popular, especially when customers take advantage of Allegiant's low pricing when bundling their air, hotel and car rental package."

Allegiant serves four destinations -- Las Vegas, Phoenix/Mesa, Orlando/Sanford and Tampa Bay -- from Chicago Rockford International Airport.

Allegiant has used the larger 219-passenger 757s from Rockford to Las Vegas since last July. Allegiant announced in 2010 it was acquiring the larger planes in anticipation of launching Hawaii service.

The 757s carry 67 more passengers than the MD-80 series jets in Allegiant's fleet, and contributed to a rise in passenger traffic at the Rockford airport. Davis said Rockford-Las Vegas is a solid route and he expects the same number of seats will be sold in the market, although he did not know what planes the airline will use.

Mike Dunn, director of economic development and government affairs at the airport, said in an email the airport will meet with Allegiant officials in May and will discuss Hawaii service.

The airport is also considering service to Hawaii via a charter company, which would use Rockford as a stopping point for service between London and Honolulu.

Charter World Solutions, doing business as Mokulele Tours of Hawaii, wanted to start this spring. But its plans changed when it couldn't come to terms for use of a 232-passenger Boeing 767-200 it wanted for the route.

The airport is continuing discussions with Charter World Solutions.

Reach staff writer Brian Leaf at [email protected] or 815-987-1343. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/B_Leaf.