Casino Charter Deal to See Allegiant Air Serve Wendover, Nevada

Allegiant Air is to provide charter flights for Peppermill Casinos’ three casino resorts in Wendover, Nevada for the next three years.

The airline’s parent Allegiant Travel Company has entered into a three-year, fixed-fee agreement with Peppermill Casinos, Inc. to provide charter flights,  in a deal which Allegiant Air says should generate more than $20 million in revenue over its term. The agreement is subject to earlier termination by either party.

“The Peppermill Resorts at Wendover are pleased to partner with Allegiant in providing flight packages,” says John Spillman, marketing director for Peppermill Resorts at Wendover. “We are excited to work with a company which shares many of the same core values with us and look forward to the name brand recognition that Allegiant will provide to our program.”

This is a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 of Allegiant Airlines, which is a subsidiary of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company. Allegiant operates an all-MD-80 fleet and is now one of the largest operators of the type in the world. By the end of 2009 Allegiant was operating 46 MD-80s and, after contracting to buy 18 more from SAS on December 30, 2009, by the end of 2011 it will have at least 60 MD-80s in service

By March 1, 2011, Allegiant will base a 150-seat MD-80 at Wendover Airport (ENV) to provide charter services to a number of small cities throughout the United States for Peppermill’s three Wendover resorts – Montego Bay Casino Resort, Rainbow & Hotel Casino and Peppermill Hotel & Casino. The travel company will establish a base in Wendover with more than 20 employees, including maintenance, flight crews and station personnel.

Allegiant says its other charter and scheduled services will be unaffected by the agreement announced today. In accordance with industry practices, adds Allegiant, Peppermill will bear the fuel risk for the flights Allegiant performs under the agreement.

Resorts at Wendover’s Flight Program is in its sixth year of operation and serves more than 60 cities with flight packages. Additional information about the Peppermill Resorts at Wendover  is available at www.wendoverfun.com.