Allegiant Air’s traffic rises slightly in September

Passenger traffic on Allegiant Travel Co.'s discount carrier Allegiant Air grew slightly on flights during September, but the pace is projected to quicken during the current quarter.

During the month, the 398,000 passengers marked a 2 percent increase from one year ago, as people taking scheduled flights dropped slightly as charters grew. The same pattern held true with the number of flights, which rose 2.7 percent for the entire system. At the same time, the average trip length fell 4.8 percent, to 832 miles.

Although Allegiant expects a busier fourth quarter, it has scaled back projections from just one month ago. The total number of flights will grow in the range of 5 percent to 9 percent, two points lower on both ends from the September forecast.

The company expects the momentum to build during the first quarter of 2012, with the number of flights rising 8 percent to 12 percent. Also, the number of miles each seat flies is planned to increase 13 percent to 17 percent as routes get longer.