Low-cost carrier Allegiant Air said it received Extended-Range Operations certification and Flag Carrier Status from the FAA June 11 to begin flights to Honolulu.
The airline will launch service from Las Vegas and Fresno, Calif., later this month.
“Obtaining [certification] and Flag Carrier status not only clears the path for our new service to Hawaii but also opens up potential international opportunities and will play an important role in our company’s future growth,” Andrew Levy, Allegiant Travel Co. president, said in a statement.
The airline has also announced plans to begin nonstop service to Honolulu from Monterey, Santa Maria and Stockton, Calif., along with Bellingham, Wash., and Eugene, Ore., this November.
Allegiant also plans to offer nonstops from Bellingham to Maui’s Kahului Airport beginning Nov. 14.
“The new Hawaii service has proven very popular, and we are pleased with initial bookings,” Levy added. “We look forward to serving the Hawaiian market with the same business model that has made Allegiant so successful on the mainland: linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations.”
Allegiant will operate its Hawaii flights onboard its Boeing 757-200 aircraft. The company is currently operating four 757s but expects to add two more in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.