Allegiant Completes Acquisition of Sun Country To Create a Single Leisure-Focused Airline

Updated: June 6, 2026, 5:35am CDT

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Allegiant Completes Acquisition of Sun Country
Is This a Good Thing?
Final Thoughts

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Budget airlines Allegiant and Sun Country Airlines announced plans to merge in a $1.5 billion deal back in January. Now, the airlines say the acquisition is complete.

“Today marks a defining moment in Allegiant’s history as we officially join forces with Sun Country to create the leading leisure-focused airline in the United States,” said Allegiant CEO Gregory C. Anderson. “With a combined fleet of 195 aircraft serving nearly 175 cities, we are expanding access to affordable, reliable, and convenient travel for the communities that have long been the foundation of our business, while offering customers broader reach and more destinations.”

Here’s what you should know about the merger and what impact it has on your travels.

Allegiant Completes Acquisition of Sun Country

Allegiant announced an agreement on January 11, 2026, to acquire fellow budget airline Sun Country Airlines, creatinga unified, leisure-focused airline.

In a new update on March 16, the airlines announced the early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, meaning the U.S. Department of Justice has completed its antitrust review and cleared the proposed acquisition to move forward. On April 15, the Department of Transportation (DOT) gave its approval.

Now, on May 13, the deal is done. The airlines have received approval through shareholder votes and government agencies, wrapping up earlier than previously anticipated.

Allegiant Airlines Provo — Image Credit: Stella Shon

All told, the merger will provide customers with more than 650 routes — 551 from Allegiant and 105 from Sun Country — across more than 175 cities. Additionally, Allegiant expects to realize “$140 in annual synergies” in 3 years of the merger.

Is This a Good Thing?

Overall, the Sun Country-Allegiant merger can be a good thing, particularly for travelers living in smaller markets.

Allegiant customers will particularly benefit from the merger, as it will connect Sun Country’s hub, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), to Allegiant’s mid-sized markets. Allegiant says the MSP hub will continue to play a key role in the combined company.

Allegiant customers will also have access to Sun Country’s international route map. Notably, Allegiant doesn’t serve any international destinations, but that will change. Sun Country serves 18 international destinations in Mexico, Central America, Canada, and the Caribbean.

The 2 airlines’ loyalty programs — Allways Rewards and Sun Country Rewards — may merge in the future. However, the airlines say that they will remain separate for now and that the programs “will retain their current value.”

Bottom Line:

How you book your flights or manage your loyalty account isn’t changing at this point. Allegiant plans to merge some of these operations in the future, but there’s no information about that yet.

Final Thoughts

The timeline for Allegiant and Sun Country’s merger moved faster than originally expected. After clearing government regulatory approvals and shareholder votes, Allegiant has completed the acquisition of Sun Country.

Nothing notable is changing for passengers at this point. There may be future developments on booking channels or rewards programs, but those details will come at a later date.