Allegiant merger means Bellingham airport to lose Oakland routes this spring
Bellingham International Airport will no longer offer direct flights to Oakland, as Allegiant Airlines will terminate the popular route beginning May 26.
“The Bellingham–Oakland (OAK) nonstop flight operated by Allegiant will be suspended effective May 26. Over the past several months, Allegiant has eliminated multiple routes operating out of Oakland Airport, and Bellingham was the final remaining Allegiant route served from OAK,” Matt Rodriguez, director of aviation at Bellingham International Airport, told The Herald in an email Jan. 27.
Rodriquez says the decision is not related to passenger demand, as the route has “historically performed well from both ends.”
“We’re certainly disappointed to see the Oakland service suspended, especially given how well the route has performed historically. The Bay Area remains a very important market for Bellingham and our region,” Rodriguez said.
No other airlines currently operating out of Bellingham’s airport offer flights to Oakland.
“While losing a flight option is never what we want for our community, we are actively working with other airlines to restore service into the Bay Area. These discussions are constructive, and we remain optimistic about future service growth,” Rodriguez said.
Allegiant also recently announced that it will be combining business with Sun Country Airlines to “create a leading leisure-focused U.S. airline, expanding service to more popular vacation destinations across the United States, as well as international destinations, and providing more people with access to affordable, convenient air travel,” according to a Jan. 11 news release announcing Allegiant’s purchase of Sun Country.
“Allegiant has announced its intent to acquire Sun Country Airlines, with the transaction expected to be finalized later this year. At this time, it is too early to determine what, if any, direct impacts this may have on service at Bellingham International Airport,” Rodriguez told The Herald.
“Any airline merger takes time to fully understand from a network and service standpoint. I’ll be meeting with representatives from both Allegiant and Sun Country at upcoming air service development conferences to discuss potential opportunities for Bellingham,” Rodriguez said.
Allegiant offers roundtrip flights from Bellingham to Oakland on Mondays and Fridays, with the final flights being offered May 25.
