Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2018

TOLEDO, Ohio, November 20, 2018 – Toledo Express Airport (TOL) bids farewell to Allegiant Airlines’ McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft after serving the Toledo market for nearly 13 years. The MD-80 will depart TOL for the last time on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, at 9:26 a.m., and will fully retire from Allegiant’s fleet by the end of November.

The MD-80 started serving the Toledo market when Allegiant service began at TOL on December 15, 2005. This aircraft has allowed Allegiant to transport over 1 million Toledo area travelers nonstop to popular vacation destinations, and has allowed Allegiant to grow to become one of the largest ultra low-cost carriers in the country. 

“The MD-80 ushered in an era of tremendous growth for Allegiant Airlines, bringing nonstop service and low fares to communities like Toledo that simply would not have been possible without this aircraft,” said Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “The Toledo Region is thankful for what this aircraft has meant to the area and looks forward to many more years of Allegiant service at TOL on the more efficient Airbus aircraft.”

Allegiant is replacing the MD-80 with newer Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. These aircraft, which feature up to 186 seats, have already begun service on select flights to and from TOL. The Airbus aircraft represent a significant improvement in the customer experience by featuring a more modern cabin and are more environmentally friendly, achieving significant fuel savings versus the older generation MD-80.

Today, Allegiant offers low fares and nonstop service to Orlando Sanford, Ft. Myers/Punta Gorda and St. Pete-Clearwater, Florida. Allegiant service at TOL has helped drive the airport’s five consecutive year-over-year increases in passenger totals. This year, passenger traffic on Allegiant has increased over 2 percent through October of 2018 when compared with the same period in 2017.

About Toledo Express Airport

Toledo Express Airport, your local choice for fast, easy and convenient air travel, provides an easy alternative to larger, less convenient airports. Parking is available within 50 feet of the terminal and daily parking rates at Toledo Express are just $8 per day compared with more than $20 a day at other airports. Toledo Express offers nonstop service to Orlando Sanford, Ft. Myers/Punta Gorda and St. Pete-Clearwater, Florida via Allegiant; and nonstop service to Chicago, Illinois and Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as one-stop service to nearly 200 world-wide destinations when connecting through Chicago or Charlotte via American Airlines.

For additional information, please refer to www.toledoexpress.com, or connect with Toledo Express Airport on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to stay up-to-date on the airport and the air carriers that serve the Northwest Ohio region.

The mission of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is to develop expertise and assets that drive and grow the region’s transportation and logistics infrastructure and its economic prosperity for all.

   www.toledoport.org – 419.243.8251