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By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL
The airline that carries small town America to the bright lights of Las Vegas is about to touch down on Wall Street.
Shares in Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air will begin trading today on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ALGT.
The initial public offering is expected to raise as much as $82 million for an airline that specializes in direct Las Vegas flights from far-flung locations that go unserved by major carriers. Allegiant hopes to sell more than 5 million shares at $18 each. The proceeds will be used to add direct flights to Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., to more small towns across the country.
This year Allegiant has already ferried more than 1 million passengers through McCarran International Airport, many of whom save several hours per trip by skipping layovers and long drives to airports in big cities.
"We didn't have to drive to Kansas City," horse trainer Scott Shelton of Springfield, Mo., said Thursday.
Shelton and his wife, Laura, a barrel racer, flew Allegiant direct from Springfield to Las Vegas to attend the National Finals Rodeo....