St. George Regional Airport announces new flights to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway

August 20, 2018 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE — Representatives from St. George Regional Airport, Allegiant airline and city officials on Tuesday announced the addition of a flight between St. George and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway.

L-R: St. George Public Works Director Cameron Cutler, Mayor Jon Pike, Allegiant Manager of Airport Affairs Dustin Call, Councilwoman Bette Arial, Councilman Ed Baca and St. George Regional Airport Manager Richard Stehmeier announce a new flight route to Mesa, St. George, Utah, Aug. 21, 2018 | Photo by Mikayla Shoup, St. George News.

Flights will operate twice per week on the new route beginning Nov. 9, which will bring approximately 18,000 additional travelers through the airport in the next year, said Dustin Call, manager of airport affairs for Allegiant, a Las Vegas-based airline founded in 1999.

To celebrate its new location, Allegiant is temporarily offering a promotional fare with tickets as low as $49 one-way on the new year-round route.

“We think St. George has the opportunity to attract passengers from some of our different western destinations,” Call said. “We’re really excited about the prospect of Zion National Park being so close to St. George. There’s close to 5 million visitors a year, and on Allegiant they can get there for less.”

SkyWest Airlines now operates United Airlines, Delta and American Airlines out of the airport, offering flights to Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver and Los Angeles, making Mesa the airport’s fifth destination.

While there are already flights from St. George to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the hope is that Allegiant’s more affordable fares will attract a wider range of travelers to the area.

St. George Mayor Jon Pike said he hopes this new route will open opportunities for more airlines and more destinations.

St. George Regional Airport is adding flights to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in November, St. George, Utah, Aug. 21, 2018 | Photo by Mikayla Shoup, St. George News.

“There are other carriers that I think will be watching, and I think already are watching, how the existing flights are doing and they’ll watch this one to Mesa. I think we’re on the map and people are paying attention.”

Pike said he would like to see flights to the California Bay Area in the future. He thinks San Francisco, San Jose or Oakland would bring in more flyers to St. George.

Call said Allegiant is always looking for new routes and often analyzes a destination for years before planning flights there to make sure it will be right for the smaller company.

“If the opportunities are there, we’re going to explore them.”

The flights to Mesa will not require any kind of expansion of the airport, but with more visitors flying into St. George every year, there are plans to expand passenger parking in the next year and rental car parking lot in the future.

In addition to the new flights between St. George and Mesa, Allegiant announced Tuesday that it will be flying between Provo, Utah, and Tucson, Arizona, twice weekly beginning Nov. 16. The company is offering the same $49 one-way fares promotion as in St. George.

Email: mshoup@stgnews.com

Twitter: @STGnews | @MikaylaShoup