Allegiant Travel Co., corporate parent of Allegiant Air, is taking another step toward its long-term transition to an all Airbus fleet.
The Las Vegas-based company on Thursday said it has signed an agreement to acquire four additional Airbus A319 aircraft from low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific of the Philippines. Allegiant said the aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2017 and 2018.
"By the end of 2016, Allegiant will be a majority Airbus carrier, as measured by available seat miles," said Jude Bricker, Allegiant Travel chief operating officer, in a news release.
Allegiant will have 33 Airbus aircraft in its fleet by the end of this year, consisting of 16 Airbus A320s and 17 Airbus A319s. The company said it anticipates making additional purchases of Airbus aircraft when there are opportunities.
Allegiant will have a total of 85 aircraft in service at the end of the current year. The company has been flying a mixture of aircraft, including McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and Boeing 757s.
Allegiant, with small base fares and a bevy of add-on fees, flies mostly from small, underserved cities to warm-weather vacation spots. The carrier booked $220 million in profit last year — more than 2 1/2 times above the nearly $87 million it earned in 2014.