Allegiant Air has agreed to acquire six Boeing 757s for the express purpose of serving Hawaii.
The low-cost carrier said the planes have been in service with an unnamed European operator since Boeing’s original delivery.
Two aircraft will be delivered within the next two months to be placed into service in the fourth quarter of 2010, Allegiant said. The airline intends to place another 757 into service in the first half of 2011, plus another two in the first half of 2012.
Allegiant expects to spend from $75 million to $90 million through 2012 acquiring and preparing the jets for service. Allegiant said it can acquire and prepare the aircraft for cash but believes it will finance a portion of the purchase.
The airline operates a fleet of MD-80s, but acquiring the Boeing 757s was necessary for long overwater service.
Allegiant specializes in flying customers from secondary cities to major U.S. leisure destinations such as Orlando, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
"Hawaii is the most prominent U.S. leisure destination currently unserved by Allegiant, and our small-city customers have been requesting this service,” said Allegiant CEO Maurice Gallagher Jr.
Gallagher said he expects the sale of packages (hotels, car rentals and activities) to make a “meaningful contribution” to revenue from Hawaii service.