Allegiant Air has last departure
Officials continue search for replacement airlines
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VIENNA -- Allegiant Air made its final departure out of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport Thursday, leaving airport officials looking for a commercial airline service to take its place, and others wondering what the future might hold.
Flight 893 left the airport at 7:28 p.m., nearly two hours after its scheduled 5:37 p.m. departure for St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in Florida. What the airline said was "mechanical maintenance" had delayed the plane from arriving at the Vienna airport until 6:36 p.m., which pushed back the time of the final flight.
Allegiant announced in August that after more than a decade, it would be dropping its local service, citing low demand. Allegiant also began flying out of Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport almost a year ago.
John Moliterno, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, said Youngstown-Warren airport and port authority officials continue to have ongoing conversations with all entities working at the airport, from the Transportation Security Administration and the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office to those at Mikeee's II Airport Tavern.
Linda Stabile, who opened Mikeee's 11 years ago at the airport, could not be reached for comment about the future of the restaurant, but an employee who answered the phone Thursday said that Stabile has been meeting with airport officials to "figure things out."
The restaurant had received business from those using Allegiant Air, Moliterno said, but those passengers were not their only source of business.
The Transportation Security Administration mostly works commercial flights, Moliterno said, although there is still a requirement for their presence for some chartered flights. Dan Dickten, Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport director of aviation, said the TSA will keep security equipment at the airport for a "good period of time" while officials seek another commercial air service.
The sheriff's office will continue to provide security on an as-needed basis, Dickten said, but without Allegiant, they won't be needed as often.
The sheriff's office did not return several calls seeking comment about how Allegiant Air leaving might affect the contract it has with the airport.
"There's no daily, low-frequency leisure service line where we'll need (sheriff) support all that often," Dickten said. "We'll need them for other things like large charter flights until we replace the commercial airline. We are in discussions with several airlines at the moment."
Rental car companies will continue to work out of the airport because they get business from throughout the area, Moliterno said, not just from those flying into the airport.
Even with Allegiant gone, Moliterno said, all those entities that had relied to some degree on commercial airline service for the the work they perform or product they provide will continue for the time being to maintain a presence at the airport.
"It's a team and a partnership at the airport and we all work together," Moliterno said. "There's no secret that Allegiant left, and there's also no secret we're continuing to try to find other commercial carriers to come to the airport. We are very up front with everyone every step of the way."