Allegiant Airlines announced a proposed merger with Sun Country Airlines that would expand service to more vacation destinations, even to international locations.

Allegiant, currently the sole commercial airline company in operation at Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF), is set to acquire Minneapolis-based Sun Country by the second half of 2026. The proposed merger was announced the afternoon of Jan. 11.

GUF Airport Director Jesse Fosnaugh said he previously worked with Sun Country when he was at Branson Airport in Missouri. He said Sun Country is an excellent air carrier and similar to Allegiant as they both serve the same type of aircraft and are both leisure airlines, meaning they specialize in vacation travel.

Fosnaugh said he can’t say for sure whether the merger would add new destinations to GUF, but there would be more resources to allocate services to new cities.

“For the Gulf Shores International Airport, I would say the key word is opportunity,” he said. “It really gives us more opportunity, and it gives Allegiant a chance to play in the sandbox with destinations this year.”

According to a joint press release from Allegiant and Sun Country, the combined airline will offer more destinations — including international ones with Sun Country’s service network across Mexico, Central America, Canada and the Caribbean — more often, combining Allegiant’s 551 small to mid-sized destinations with Sun Country’s 105 larger city routes and bringing the combined airline to an approximate total of 195 aircraft.

Allegiant CEO Gregory Anderson said the combination will support a shared mission to provide affordable, reliable and convenient airline service.

“With our combined strengths — including operational excellence, consistent profitability, strong balance sheets and fleet ownership,” he said in the press release,” we will create an even more resilient and agile airline that delivers greater value to travelers, partners, team members, shareholders and the communities we serve.”

Sun Country President and CEO Jude Bricker said within the airline’s 43-year history, Sun Country has developed a business model for low-cost flights for passengers and cargo.

He said the company believes the transaction will present beneficial opportunities for continued growth.

“Today marks an exciting next step in our history as we join Allegiant to create one of the leading leisure travel companies in the U.S.,” he said in the press release. “We are two customer-centric organizations, deeply committed to delivering affordable travel experiences without compromising on quality.”

According to the company’s joint website, www.soaringforleisure.com, the merged company will be headquartered in Las Vegas, where Allegiant is currently based out of. Allegiant is the “publicly held parent company,” and the combined airline will remain under Allegiant’s name.

Fosnaugh said next steps for the proposed merger include going through the U.S. federal antitrust clearance and other required regulatory approvals.

Overall, the combination will balance qualities from both companies and “strengthen their operation.” For GUF, Fosnaugh sees it as a positive thing, and he said he thinks the two airlines will meld well together.

“It’ll be the opportunity to continue to grow like we have been,” he said. “We may not know how it impacts us, but it will impact us positively.”