Allegiant Air

Is Allegiant Air safe?

Yes. Allegiant has never had a fatal accident or lost an aircraft, and it no longer flies the MD-80s that gave it its reputation. We score it 81, a few points below Frontier (85). The gap is the fleet and the history: its Airbus A319s average 20 years, it has no IOSAIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary audit yet, and from 2015 to 2019 journalists and then a federal audit found that it, and the FAA watching it, had let mechanical problems pile up.

What did 60 Minutes and the federal audit find?

In April 2018 CBS's 60 Minutes went through FAA service difficulty reports and counted more than 100 serious mechanical incidents on Allegiant flights from January 2016 to October 2017: engine failures, smoke and fumes, rapid descents, flight control problems, hydraulic leaks and aborted take-offs, with 60 unscheduled landings. By its count Allegiant's planes were about 3.5 times more likely to have a serious in-flight failure than those of five other US airlines. Allegiant told the programme it was "proud of our strong safety record."

The programme also reported that the FAA had taken no enforcement action against Allegiant in nearly three years. After a 2015 inspection, an inspector recommended strong enforcement action and maximum fines; his superiors closed the case with a letter of correction instead. A 2016 FAA review found no serious deficiencies.

The Department of Transportation's Inspector General then audited the FAA's handling of the airline. Its December 2019 report found that since 2011 FAA inspectors had not consistently documented the risks of 36 in-flight engine shutdowns on Allegiant's MD-80s or correctly assessed the root causes, and that FAA guidance did not let inspectors weigh how serious an outcome was when choosing a response. It made nine recommendations; the FAA agreed with eight.

Has Allegiant changed since?

The fleet has. Allegiant retired its MD-80s and Boeing 757s between 2013 and 2018 and replaced them with mostly second-hand Airbus A319s and A320s, which are fly-by-wireFly-by-wireA flight control system in which the pilot's inputs go to computers, which then move the control surfaces. Many such systems also stop unsafe manoeuvres.More in the glossary and far more common, so parts and know-how are easy to find. Since late 2024 it has added 16 new Boeing 737-8200s, with 34 more due by 2028.

But the Airbus fleet is old. At the end of 2025 the 28 A319s averaged 20.3 years and the 79 A320s 14.8 years, and Allegiant's own filing says older aircraft need more frequent and more extensive maintenance. In its 10-K Allegiant sets itself the goal of earning IOSA registrationIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary by the end of 2026.

Allegiant's accidents and incidents

None killed anyone, and none destroyed an aircraft:

• Sanford, March 2007. An MD-83 lost a hydraulic system and its nose gear would not come down; the crew landed with it retracted. One passenger was slightly hurt. The NTSB blamed the crew for not completing the checklist and not following the placard on the alternate gear-extension lever.
• St Petersburg-Clearwater, June 2015. After a burning smell, an MD-83 returned and the crew evacuated it. The NTSB found the evacuation was ordered over an unverified condition and poor communication with firefighters; one passenger broke a wrist. Allegiant then added captain leadership and joint crew training.
• Sioux Falls, April 2018. An MD-83 landing in snow found nil braking and stopped about 20 feet beyond the runway end. Nobody was hurt.
• St Petersburg-Clearwater, April 2021. Seconds after take-off an A319 had to dodge a Cessna crossing the airport at 300 feet; they passed 100 feet apart vertically. The NTSB blamed the controller and the Cessna pilot.
• Florida, July 2023. Within 11 days, two flight attendants were seriously injured in turbulence near St Petersburg, and another by an abrupt climb that answered a collision alert near Melbourne.
• Greenville, North Carolina, September 2026. An A320 veered off the runway onto grass on landing; the crew went around from beside the runway, struck the tail on rotation and diverted to Greensboro. The aircraft was still out of service more than two weeks later.

Allegiant and Sun Country

Allegiant bought Sun Country Airlines on 13 May 2026. For now Sun Country flies under its own FAA certificate with its own SY flight numbers, and it is an IATA member. Allegiant plans to submit a transition plan to the FAA to merge the two operations under one certificate. Until then, a Sun Country flight carries Sun Country's record, which this page does not score.

How to fly Allegiant safely

Allegiant flies what it calls limited-frequency routes, so a technical problem can mean a long wait for a replacement aircraft. If your flight is cancelled or turns back, do not push to board a quick fix you are uneasy about. Book a day of slack before cruises or events. On the 737-8200, with 190 seats, check your exit row before take-off.

How we scored it

No fatal accident and no hull lossHull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary give a strong accident record (92). FAA oversight scores 80, lowered by the Inspector General's findings and the missing IOSAIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary. The fleet (66) is old except for the new 737s, and serious incidents (64) still carry the 2016–2017 mechanical record and the 2026 Greenville excursion. Environment scores 82. Overall 81.