ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Last year was a good year at the St. Cloud Regional Airport. Total passengers for Allegiant Airlines flights were up 19 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.

Airport Director Bill Towle says the airplane's load factor was up a little bit last year, but the main reason is the increased number of flights.

They offered Phoenix/Mesa over the summer.  So normally, it's a seasonal service and they don't fly over the summer for the most part, and in 2024 they decided to add in two flights a week.

Towle says Allegiant also started its winter service to Mesa earlier increasing flights already in early October. Also, the flights to Punta Gorda, Florida started a month earlier in mid-November instead of late December.

Another factor is the size of the airplanes coming in and out of the St. Cloud Regional Airport. Allegiant's planes increased from 177 seats to 188 seats, but their load factor stayed above 90 percent during the peak winter months.

He says 2025 is also off to a good start with Allegiant Airlines scheduling even more flights to both destinations this year.

They are starting with five flights a week to Mesa in January, February, and March.  So that's almost one flight a day which is great with this big airplane.

Besides the five flights a week to Mesa, they'll offer a third flight a week to Punta Gorda in March.

The Allegiant flights to Mesa are scheduled out through August.  The flights to the Punta Gorda area are scheduled to end for the season in early April.

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Towle says he continues to talk to Allegiant about trying to attract a third or fourth destination out of St. Cloud. He says with our load factor remaining over 90 percent during the peak season, it proves that we can handle more air traffic.

Meanwhile, the Sun Country charter flights to Laughlin, Nevada also remain very popular.   Last year they offered 10 total flights throughout the year and they all sold out.  This year the upcoming flights in February and March are already sold out.  The flight in April may still have a few seats left.

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