Allegiant well grounded in small markets

LOVELAND — Tens of thousands of fortune hunters pile into Las Vegas daily.

That’s why it seemed plausible to Maurice Gallagher to stake the future of a once-struggling regional airline called Allegiant Air on the nation’s gambling capital.

So far, the cards are turning up in Gallagher’s favor.

On July 31 — less than two years after Gallagher led Allegiant out of bankruptcy — the airline will begin scheduled service from the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport to Las Vegas.

Northern Colorado is the last of five markets in which Allegiant will launch scheduled flights this year, all pointed to Las Vegas.

Allegiant’s strategy is…