Benjamin Leischner, executive director of Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, shows a pair of the colorful sunglasses given to passengers taking the first Allegiant flight from the Quad Cities to Sarasota, Florida, on Thursday, Feb. 13. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Ross Hendriks was looking forward to his trip to Sarasota, Florida, as he waited Thursday morning, Feb. 13, near Gate B10 at the Quad Cities International Airport (QCIA) in Moline. He was dressed for Florida. As all of his fellow passengers were wearing heavy coats and gloves for another cold, snowy day in the Quad […]
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Ross Hendriks was looking forward to his trip to Sarasota, Florida, as he waited Thursday morning, Feb. 13, near Gate B10 at the Quad Cities International Airport (QCIA) in Moline.He was dressed for Florida. As all of his fellow passengers were wearing heavy coats and gloves for another cold, snowy day in the Quad Cities, Mr. Hendriks was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved Harley-Davidson T-shirt.
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 13, marked Allegiant’s first flight departure from the Quad Cities to Sarasota, Florida. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Benjamin Leischner, left, executive director of Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, talks to community leaders on Thursday.
About 125 other passengers left the wintry weather for the warm temps of Sarasota on the first Allegiant nonstop flight from the Quad Cities airport to Sarasota.
This is the special cake that was served during Thursday's ceremony.
Benjamin Leischner, executive director of Quad Cities International Airport, wears a pair of the sunglasses that were presented as gifts to passengers boarding the first flight from the Quad Cities to Sarasota, Florida, on Thursday, Feb. 13. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Employees get ready to board Allegiant passengers to Sarasota, Florida, on Thursday. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
“I’m going to Sarasota to meet up with my Army buddies. … This will be my first time to Sarasota – my first time to Florida,” he said.Mr. Hendriks and about 125 other passengers left the wintry weather for the warm temps of Sarasota on the first Allegiant nonstop flight from the Quad Cities airport to Sarasota. Local travelers now can catch a twice-weekly, seasonal service flight from the QCIA to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) in Florida. This marks the first new Allegiant route from the regional airport in 12 years, providing travelers with more options and added flexibility, according to QCIA leaders.The start of the new flights were welcomed with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, gifts of colorful sunglasses to passengers, two balloon decorations made to look like palm trees, and a cake decorated with a beachfront scene served outside of Gate B10. (That first flight, Flight 3777, started boarding at about 10 a.m. and left Moline at around 10:40 a.m.)“I want to thank Allegiant for their continued investment in the Quad Cities region by beginning services to Sarasota,” said Benjamin Leischner, the QCIA’s executive director. “Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. The Quad Cities region continues to show a growing appetite for nonstop flights, and this route reflects our commitment to advocating for greater convenience and expanded travel opportunities.”The new Thursday/Sunday flights to Sarasota complement Allegiant’s existing service to St. Petersburg, Florida, just one hour north, and to Punta Gorda, one hour to the south, further enhancing travel opportunities for the region. The inaugural Sarasota flight season is scheduled to run through Sunday, May 11.“We are excited to begin connecting Quad-Cities and Sarasota with Alligiant’s unique brand of ultra-low-cost, all-nonstop flights,” Drew Wells, Allegiant chief commercial officer, said in a news release. “This addition, part of a larger milestone expansion for Allegiant, will connect more passengers to the people and places they love.”Just before the inaugural flight left Moline, however, Mr. Leischner said he hopes the Sarasota flight will become so popular that Allegiant will make it a year-round service. He said that could happen if local passengers like the flight and book tickets to Florida. The more tickets sold, the more likely the flights will be changed from seasonal to year round, he added.“Your support fuels our growth,” Mr. Leischner said during the ceremony.Thursday’s first flight received plenty of support from passengers and dozens of local business and government leaders. Some of those leaders even took that first flight as part of the ceremony.Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms was one of the local leaders at the ceremony. He said he was initially scheduled to take a quick trip to Sarasota as part of the first-day ceremonies, however, the mayor and his wife decided to spend a week in Florida.“I think it’s wonderful. The new flights are a great benefit for the economy and tourism for the Quad Cities,” Mr. Thoms said.Another passenger, Mr. Hendriks, agreed. He said he came to the airport in shorts and a T-shirt to be immediately ready for the warm Florida weather. (The forecast for Sarasota on Thursday called for partly cloudy conditions with a high temperature of 83.)“This is going to be great,” he added.
