Summary Southwest Airlines to fill the gap left by Allegiant at AUS with seasonal flights to Omaha starting in November. Allegiant is closing its AUS base due to reduced footprint and lack of space at the airport, leaving SkyWest as the only airline with a crew base. Southwest's strategic move will gauge interest and allow for adjustments in flight frequency, tapping into existing customer base.
Southwest Airlines will begin seasonal flights to Omaha Airport (OMA) from Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) this November. Allegiant Air currently operates the route but will cut it early next year. Picking up the pieces Allegiant Air is currently the only carrier operating the AUS to OMA route.
However, the airline announced in June that it would close down its base at AUS on January 7th, next year, just three years after it moved in. As previously reported by Simple Flying, the airlines will cut at least six routes from the schedule. The flights to Omaha will cease on October 28th this year, along with the following: Eugene Airport, Oregon Las Vegas International Airport, Nevada Washington-Dulles International Airport, Washington DC Southwest 's entrance into the market in November means consumers flying to OMA will encounter minimal service disruption.
According to KXAN , the airline will fly the route on select Saturdays from November to January. It will continue to operate the route, albeit at a lower frequency, in February and March. The airline's current schedule is available through March 5th, 2025.
A Southwest spokesperson told KXAN that the airline's networking team will continue to make "dynamic changes to our schedule to meet customer demand and preferences." The addition of the OMA route is the third new route from AUS this year. The airline added flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March and Boston in June.
However, it has also canceled unfavorable routes at AUS. Earlier this month, flights to Cozumel, Mexico were canceled. Simple Flying has contacted Southwest for a statement on the move.
Filling the gap After only three years, Allegiant is closing its base and abandoning its $75 million planned investment (the number hasn't been confirmed). The closure is based on two reasons. The first is the airline's reduced footprint at the airport.
Over the last three years, the airline has steadily cut routes. The reduced capacity is due to the lack of aircraft, brought about by Boeing's multiple failures to deliver the Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft . These delays also caused Allegiant to reduce the number of aircraft it ordered.
The second reason is the closure of the low-cost south terminal at AUS, which is being demolished to make space for a new midfield concourse. According to the airline, the space the airport offered them wasn't enough to sustain the base. The south terminal is only scheduled for demolition in 2026.
However, the airline has chosen to make a decision and abandon the base preemptively. Allegiant's departure will leave SkyWest as the only airline with a crew base at AUS. Southwest's move to offer flights to AUS at a reduced capacity is brilliant, as Allegiant's departure leaves a gap in the market.
The seasonal offering allows the airline to properly gauge interest and increase or decrease the frequency of flights as necessary. Essentially, taking over a route from another airline will enable it to tap into an existing customer base and almost guarantee profits. Both aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported.
.
