Allegiant Air is on the move. Recently, the carrier announced the creation of two new bases in Nashville, Tennessee, and Des Moines, Iowa. Both of these cities will soon see a slate of new routes operated by the low-cost carrier.

Allegiant's new Nashville base

In a press release, the Las Vegas-based carrier announced a $50 million investment in Nashville. This will lead to the creation of a new base and, according to Allegiant, the creation of at least 66 new jobs.

Allegiant Nashville
Allegiant Airlines will base two A320s in Nashville. Photo:

In Nashville, from February 13, 2020, Allegiant Air will base two Airbus A320 aircraft in the city. Currently, the airline operates 12 nonstop routes from Nashville. However, with these two A320s, the airline plans to expand to with service to secondary markets. This gives travelers another low-cost option for getting to their final destination. As of writing, new routes out of Nashville have not been announced by Allegiant.

Allegiant's new Des Moines base

Allegiant put out another press release highlighting the new Des Moines base. In Iowa, similar to Nashville, the Las Vegas-based carrier will invest $50 million in the creation of the 20th operating base. Nashville is the airline's 19th. The Des Moines base is slated to open on May 14, 2020.

Allegiant Des Moines
Another pair of A320s will help establish a base in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo:

Just like Nashville, the carrier will base two Airbus A320 aircraft in Des Moines. This will, again, bring at least 66 new jobs into the region according to Allegiant. Compared to Nashville, however, Des Moines is more likely to be a place where passengers originate from rather than go to visit.

Although the city does have plenty of Midwestern United States charm, Allegiant has, up until now, focused on connecting leisure destinations to Des Moines with eight nonstop routes from the city. Allegiant has not announced any new routes out of Des Moines yet.

Allegiant's expansion

Previously, Allegiant faced some rough publicity for safety concerns over its aging MD-80 fleet.

Allegiant MD-80
Allegiant faced some scrutiny over its aging MD-80 fleet. Photo:

To remedy this, the airline focused on reducing the costs incurred through the operation of a diverse and aging fleet. The airline retired both 757 and MD-80 aircraft. Now, the airline only operates A319 and A320 aircraft. This helps reduce costs associated with maintenance, pilot and flight attendant training, and also makes operations smoother since aircraft swaps are easier in case of maintenance or operational delays.

Allegiant 757
Allegiant retired the 757 aircraft in favor of an all-Airbus fleet. Photo:

Overall

For Nashville and Des Moines travelers, this news means that more competition is coming to these markets. Nashville, in particular, is a growing travel destination. And, low-cost Allegiant is looking to capitalize on it with a new base in the Music City. These latest moves come after Allegiant embarked on a huge route expansion for winter 2019. For now, however, passengers have to wait patiently for Allegiant to announce new routes out of Des Moines and Nashville.

Will you fly Allegiant from Des Moines or Nashville? Let us know in the comments!