Maury Gallagher, CEO and Chairman of Allegiant, was joined by Congressman John Mica and Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera for the official start of construction on the airline’s new US$24m training facility in Florida.
"It's been great to see how our partnership with Orlando Sanford International airport, Airports Worldwide and the entire community has grown and thrived," said Gallagher. "We're so pleased that this new, state-of-the-art facility will place Sanford at the centre of training activity and the leading edge of technology for all our East Coast crew members."
According to reports, the 43,000 square-foot facility will be ready to begin hosting training for Allegiant flight crew members and mechanics by the first quarter of 2017. A similar facility in Las Vegas is run by the airline to train West Coast-based crews. The new East Coast training centre will have the capacity to train 150 pilots, 500 flight attendants and 100 mechanics each year, utilising a range of methods, including flight simulators, cabin trainers and classroom resources for A320 and MD80 aircraft. Training will be carried out by 30 full-time instructors and support staff, based locally. These jobs will contribute to the 23,000 jobs that Allegiant already supports in Florida, according to a recent economic impact study.
