Allegiant Air Flew Last Flight From KGGY Saturday

Gary/Chicago International Airport (KGGY) has lost its last scheduled airline service. Allegiant Air flew its last scheduled flight from the airport to Orlando/Sanford airport in Florida on Saturday.

Six airlines have tried to make a go of scheduled service from KGGY since 1999, according to a report from The Times of Northwest Indiana. They include now-defunct Hooters Air, and an airline that attempted to resurrect the "Pan Am" brand which also was not successful.

USA Today reports that, according to the Chicago Tribune, KGGY has billed itself as "Chicago's real third airport," but extensive marketing and low-fare incentives have not been enough to draw passengers away from O'Hare and Midway.

Allegiant says it is doing fine financially, but that there was not enough demand to continue flying out of Gary.  The airport hopes that a planned runway extension will give it the boost it needs with the ability to accommodate larger airplanes, but there is no firm timeline for that project to be completed. Airport management is also considering a plan that would privatize the airport, but the plan has met with resistance from several quarters.

FMI: www.garychicagoairport.com