In the 10 years since Allegiant began offering lower-cost flights out of the Orlando-Sanford airport, its Sanford operation has more than tripled. But that hasn’t always meant more business for the city of Sanford.
The company held a day-long celebration on Thursday at the airport to mark the 10-year-anniversary of its first flight out of Sanford. When Allegiant began offering flights out of the Orlando-Sanford International Airport in 2005, company officials didn’t know if they were going to stay.
“It was in many ways an experiment to see if it would work. And here we are 10 years later,” said Steve Harfst, Allegiants’ Chief Operating Officer.
Allegiant has more than tripled the airport’s number of domestic travelers since 2005. Orlando-Sanford has now surpassed Allegiant’s hometown of Las Vegas as the company’s largest focus area for new flights. When Allegiant began offering flights out of Orlando-Sanford International in 2005, it only flew to four cities.
Now it flies to more than fifty destinations.
Many passengers, like Shelly Bumpus’ family, fly through Sanford to get to attractions in Orlando.
“We went to Universal, Aquatica, the water parks,” said traveler Shelly Bumpus.
Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett believes having more places to stay near the airport in Sanford will help keep people in the city.
“We have plans underway right now that have been done to our strategic planning to actually create a hotel in the downtown corridor. That will be a huge benefit for us,” said Triplett.
City leaders hope the new Seminole County Sports Complex, which is set to open near the airport in 2016, will also keep more travelers in the city. The complex will bring in competitors who will be flying into Sanford from all over the country.
“We have to make sure we’re part of the team sitting at the table to make sure they have what they need to bring them into our downtown corridor, or the western corridor where all of our big box area is,” said Triplett.
Allegiant promises to add more nonstop flights from Sanford to places across the country. Sanford leaders want their city to grow – not just the airport and the airline.