Allegiant and Sun Country Airlines to Merge

An Allegiant charter Airbus sits at a gate at Los Angeles International Airport. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty ImagesLas Vegas-based Allegiant and Minneapolis-headquartered Sun Country Airlines on Jan. 11 announced plans to merge operations to create a more competitive airline for leisure travel. The deal is expected to close during the second half of this year.The new combined operation is slated to serve 22 million passengers annually in nearly 175 cities, utilizing nearly 200 aircraft, and plans to focus on popular vacation destinations both domestically and globally.