Allegiant Air Drops Flights to 4 Cities

Allegiant Air, a closely held airline providing jet service to Long Beach and other western cities, suspended most of it flights, saying high fuel costs made the routes unprofitable. In addition to Long Beach, the 3-year-old airline said it had discontinued scheduled service to South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Reno; and Portland, Ore. The carrier said in a news release that it will continue scheduled service only between its home base of Fresno and Las Vegas. It will also continue to operate charter flights. Allegiant said jet fuel prices have climbed 73% to $1.38 a gallon from 80 cents a gallon a year ago, making fuel the airline’s single largest expense item. The carrier will eliminate some airport staff as a result of the schedule changes. Allegiant has a fleet of four DC-9s.