Allegiant Air’s parent company will promote its president to CEO, replacing longtime chief Gallagher

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The parent company of Allegiant Air said Thursday that its president will become CEO in September, replacing longtime chief executive Maurice Gallagher, who will remain chairman of the board.

Allegiant Travel Co. said that Gregory C. Anderson will retain the president’s title and join the board of the Las Vegas company.

Anderson had a background in accounting at Ernst & Young and US Airways before joining Allegiant in 2010. He rose to several executive jobs including chief financial officer.

“In many ways, he’s already doing the job” of CEO, Gallagher said in a prepared statement about Anderson. “It’s time to make it official.”

Gallagher, 74, has led Allegiant for most of the last two decades, building it into one of the nation’s largest so-called ultra-low—cost carriers, which offer cheap fares but add more fees than more-conventional airlines. He is Allegiant’s largest shareholder, owning more than 13% of the company’s shares.

Gallagher stepped down as CEO in 2022 but returned a little more than a year later after the sudden departure of John Redmond.

Shares of Allegiant Travel were down less than 1% in midday trading.