Allegiant Air Named Top-Performing Low-Cost Airline By AVIATION WEEK

LAS VEGAS, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Allegiant Air, a subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company (Nasdaq: ALGT), has been named the Top-Performing Airline in the low-cost/niche category by AVIATION WEEK.  The annual award recognizes the company's ability to capitalize on opportunities and thrive despite the global economic crisis.

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"Airlines with the leadership ability to maintain strong liquidity, good financial health, cost discipline and a focus on efficiency are those in the best position to take advantage of demand," said Michael Lowry, Top-Performing Airlines project manager.  "Allegiant's business model is unique and has resulted in the airline having stronger financial health than any other airline, including legacy carriers."  

In addition to its high financial health score, Allegiant was selected because of its ability to steadily increase its net profit and for capitalizing on ancillary revenue.

"We owe this distinction to the hard work of our staff," said Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., Allegiant Chairman and CEO.  "Our continued growth and excellent financial performance is a result of their innovation and dedication."  

Allegiant previously appeared on this list, but 2010 marks the first year the company has taken the top spot.

"We're pleased to be recognized as the Top-Performing Airline in the low-cost/niche category," Andrew C. Levy, Allegiant President, said. "It is a testament to our success as a strong, profitable and low-fare company."

Launched in 1996, AVIATION WEEK's highly regarded Top-Performing Companies studies identify strong and weak performers in the aerospace, defense and airline industries. Proprietary metrics have been refined over the past 14 years with input from industry leaders to include scores in five categories: liquidity, financial health, fuel cost management, earnings performance, and asset utilization. Based on proprietary data as well as insights from an advisory panel of prominent airline analysts, the Top-Performing Airlines study provides a precise measure of strengths, weaknesses, and financial viability. The data and rankings are a frequently cited industry baseline for determining which carriers are likely to flourish and those that are still vulnerable based on business models, geographic regions, and the industry landscape overall.

For a breakdown of AVIATION WEEK's airline scores and rankings, visit http://aviationweek.com/tpa.

About the Company

Las Vegas based Allegiant Travel Company (Nasdaq: ALGT), is focused on linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla., and Los Angeles.  Through its subsidiary, Allegiant Air, the company operates a low-cost, high-efficiency, all-jet passenger airline offering air travel both on a stand-alone basis and bundled with hotel rooms, rental cars and other travel related services. ALGT/G

SOURCE Allegiant Travel Company