Allegiant Air pilots strike plan stopped after airline gets court order

A planned Allegiant Air pilots strike, that would have affected 33,000 travelers on 250 flights Thursday, was averted after the company received a temporary restraining order on any planned walkout.

The threatened strike was timed to have a major impact on travellers heading to Las Vegas for March Madness Final Four events and Spring Break travellers.

Teamsters Local 1224, which represents the pilots, posted an open letter earlier this week stating that the company's "record delays and cancellations have led Allegiant to have the second-highest customer complaints out of any U.S. commercial airlines."

The pilots voted in January by 98 per cent in support of a strike over scheduling issues and other basic benefits.

The strike would have affected travellers heading to major hubs across the U.S. including Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Las Vegas.

Allegiant Airlines said in a statement that the walkout would have been illegal and the order was necessary to prevent cancelled flights that would have affected thousands of travelers over the Easter long weekend. 

The next federally-mediated negotiating session, Allegiant said, is scheduled for late April.