The first Allegiant Air flight from Los Angeles to Rockford pulls into the hangar on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at Chicago Rockford International Airport. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our mobile app

ROCKFORD — Allegiant Air will shorten its season for flying from Rockford to Los Angeles and Nashville this year, but Rockford airport officials and the airline say they expect flights to resume in 2025.

The Las Vegas-based airline is cutting back on 19 routes this fall, including the Rockford flights to Los Angeles and Nashville, according to schedules seen with Cirium Diio, an airline analytics platform. The company said delays in the delivery of Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts forced it to change its schedule, according to the travel website The Points Guy.

More news: Lino’s is creating a new indoor box market that brings together small businesses in Loves Park

Allegiant added flights from the Chicago Rockford International Airport to Nashville on May 16, and today the first flights from RFD to LAX will take off.

Both routes were always intended to operate seasonally, according to airport officials. However, they were initially scheduled to run into late November. Now, Allegiant has updated its schedule to have its last flight to L.A. on Oct. 13 and final route to Nashville on Oct. 28.

Anyone who was booked on an affected flight should have received notice of the flight cancellation, airport officials said.

“While the season has been shortened, the airport has not been informed that the routes are being cancelled permanently,”  Zack Oakley, RFD’s executive director, said in a message to the Rock River Current. “We continue to work with Allegiant for announcing the dates for both routes in 2025.”

Allegiant said Boeing deliveries it expected this summer have been delayed until late in the year. Those delays forced the airline to end its seasonal flights earlier than expected.

“The season is simply ending earlier than we initially planned, as part of a schedule adjustment we made in anticipation of receiving fewer Boeing aircraft in 2024 than initially expected,” Sonya Padgett, director of corporate communications, told the Rock River Current. “We intend to operate RFD-LAX again in spring or summer.”

More news: Hard Rock announces opening date for new Rockford casino

Allegiant’s schedule changes aren’t expected to affect other Rockford flights.

The flights to Nashville and Los Angeles were among three additions to the Chicago Rockford International Airport announced in the past eight months.

Last week, the airport announced the return of international flights to Cancun, Punta Cana and Costa Rica.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas