Allegiant has announced plans to establish a two-aircraft base at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee. As part of Allegiant’s growth plans in Tennessee, the company says it will create up to 66 new, high-wage jobs in the area.
“Over the past decade, Allegiant Air has provided low-fare nonstop flights to popular destinations from McGhee Tyson Airport,” said Eddie Mannis, chairman of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners. “They are continuing to support our region by selecting our airport as a base of operation, leading to more jobs and travel opportunities for the people of East Tennessee.”
The Las Vegas-based company is investing more than $50 million to establish its new base of operations, which will house two Airbus aircraft. The company, which focuses on linking travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class leisure destinations, plans to begin its base operations at McGhee Tyson Airport in October 2018. Allegiant currently serves 27 routes from five cities in the state of Tennessee, including flights from Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Tri-Cities.
“Allegiant has already seen great success in the Knoxville/Great Smoky Mountains area, and establishing a permanent base affords the opportunity to embed even deeper into the community and contribute further to the local economy,” said Keith Hansen, vice president of government affairs for Allegiant. “Having based aircraft and crews increases the efficiency of our operations and positions us for even more growth in the future, offering more access to and from the Great Smoky Mountains than ever before.”
Allegiant, which employs more than 4,000 team members across the U.S., plans to immediately begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and ground personnel to support the operations. Positions are expected to offer average salaries more than 85 percent above the state’s average wage, the company says.