Peoria Station

A Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Peoria Int'l Airport just after sunrise on June 4, 2013 prepares for departure to Washington, D.C. for an Honor Flight.  Allegiant Air announced January 11 that it will acquire Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines. The deal has already been approved by both airlines' boards of directors and is subject to review by regulators. The airlines expect approval in the last half of 2026.  Sun Country Airlines flies to numerous destinations from Minneapolis/St. Paul, including points in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. It has a fleet of Boeing 737-800s.  How might this acquisition affect Peoria and Central Illinois? Allegiant Air's joint venture proposal with Mexico's Viva Aerobus is going nowhere for now, but the Las Vegas-based carrier must see potential to offer expanded service to many international leisure destinations. The Allegiant Air-Viva Aerobus joint venture proposal was first announced in late-2...

Peoria International Airport may land a foreign carrier in the not-too-distant future.  It would be the result of a proposed Commercial Alliance Agreement between  Allegiant Air and Viva Aerobus announced on December 1.  Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) and Viva Aerobus today announced plans for a fully-integrated Commercial Alliance Agreement, designed to dramatically expand options for nonstop leisure air travel between the United States and Mexico, while lowering fares to make travel more accessible and affordable for residents of both nations. The alliance is not only the first such venture for Las Vegas-based Allegiant and Viva Aerobus, but is also first-of-its-kind in the airline industry between two ultra low cost carriers (ULCCs). The two carriers' regulatory filing includes maps of proposed routes. On page 68 of the Joint Application for Approval of and Antitrust Immunity for Commercial Alliance Agreement, maps for 2026 and 2031 show nonstop service from Peoria to...