Allegiant Air has confirmed it will permanently close crew bases at two U.S. airports: Bellingham International Airport (BLI) in Washington State and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) in Georgia, effective November 2, 2026, as the ultra-low-cost carrier navigates a sweeping network restructuring alongside its landmark acquisition of Sun Country Airlines.
The twin closures, announced days apart in early April 2026, mark a significant contraction of Allegiant’s ground-level staffing footprint, even as the airline insists that passenger-facing flight operations at both airports will remain fully intact.
A Tale of Two Bases
Bellingham: The Canadian Connection Fades
Bellingham International Airport officials were formally notified by Allegiant Air on April 1, 2026, that the airline would close its crew base in November 2026. The decision ends a chapter that stretches back more than two decades. Allegiant has served the Bellingham market since 2004, and the airport became a crew base in 2009, primarily because of the influx of Canadian passengers.
More than 100 Allegiant employees, including pilots, flight attendants and maintenance and station personnel, call the Bellingham airport base home. What happens to those workers remains an open question. Allegiant’s director of corporate communications, Sonya Padgett, did not respond publicly when asked about the fate of base employees. Airport officials confirmed that crew members may be offered transfers to other bases, commuting arrangements, or may choose to leave the company…