Allegiant Travel scores high in trade publication ranking

A lagging on-time record? A YouTube video that draws more than 1.4 million views of passengers enduring a four-hour-plus delay? Fractious labor relations?

Apparently, that’s the formula for success in the airline industry as demonstrated by Allegiant Travel Co. In its annual ranking of top-performing airlines, the trade publication Aviation Week puts Las Vegas-based Allegiant at the top of small airlines and gives it the highest score overall. Aviation Week defines small carriers as generating $250 million to $2 billion in annual revenues; Allegiant hit $908.7 million last year and is on track to top $1 billion this year.

But the rankings don’t touch customer satisfaction. Instead, they focus on financial measures such as fuel management, liquidity, capital efficiency and earning performance. The weighted averages used on judging the categories give Allegiant a 75 score, with discounter Spirit Airlines the next-best among North American airlines at 64. Southwest, the passenger count leader at McCarran International Airport, came in at 45.

Shares fell 54 cents, or 0.50 percent, on Friday to close at $106.93. But the share price reached an all-time high of $109.72 on Monday.