March 19, 2007: The Piedmont Triad International Airport at Las Vegas will see yet another low cost carrier land on its tarmac. Allegiant Air, a subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company has said that it will begin nonstop jet service May 24 from Piedmont Triad to Orlando Sanford International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in Tampa Bay.

Allegiant Air will provide service only to Florida. The Piedmont Triad International Airport has three existing non-stop flights to Florida. Delta Connection provides two flights from PTI to Orlando and American Eagle offers one flight from Piedmont Triad to Miami.

The two new flights, which will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, are expected to stir competition and help turn the tide against high fares and declining customer traffic at the airport. The last time the airport saw a budget carrier was when low-fare carrier Independence Air landed at the Triad. Independence Air however ended service in January 2006, while another one, AirTran Airways , had pulled out in September 2004. According to the company, Allegiant Air will provide service to two destinations, but its service will be aimed at a very specific segment of the consumer base and won’t lead to any other low-fare airline. Allegiant Air won’t threaten any airlines in the region, it said.

According to a report, though US Airways Group had cut fares to 33 destinations in February 2006, the airport has had competition from low fares provided by several carriers in Charlotte and Raleigh, including JetBlue Airways Corp and AirTran Airways Inc.

The airline will offer an introductory fare of $49 one way when it is booked at its website. The introductory fare comes with some restrictions. For example, it is not available on all flights and must be bought by April 7 for travel through Nov. 17. The regular fare is $69 one way, reports added.