performed with maintenance manuals or even with general practices, before an aircraft is released." A survey found that 46 of the company's 86 aircraft had made emergency landings, all of which involved MD-80s. The average age of Allegiant's MD-80 fleet was 29 years, compared to less than 13 years for its Airbus fleet. all of its MD-80s have been replaced by newer Airbus A320 family aircraft. In May 2016, the FAA confirmed they moved up a regularly scheduled five-year inspection. Allegiant Air proclaims the FAA gave them a clean bill of health after the 2016 audit. In November 2016 the Tampa Bay Times noted that Allegiant's planes were four times more likely to have in-flight failures than other major US airlines, and a 60 Minutes report by CBS News in 2018 continued to investigate the issues. Public records cited in the investigation found that the airline had more than 100 serious mechanical incidents between January 1, 2016, and October 31, 2017, including "mid-air engine failures, smoke and fumes in the cabin, rapid descents, flight control malfunctions, hydraulic leaks and aborted takeoffs." Other public records further revealed that Allegiant aircraft, on average, were nearly three and a half times more likely to have mid-air breakdowns than American, United, Delta, JetBlue and Spirit. Allegiant responded to the investigation stating that many of the issues occurred on their older MD-80 model aircraft which have since been replaced with Airbus A320, and also defended its safety record, citing the 2016 FAA audit, which found the company's safety issues "minor" and "non-systemic." Destinations As of December 2021, Allegiant offers service to 133 destinations throughout the United States, mostly to smaller non-hub regional airports and all usually only a few times each week. It chooses its routes after calculating expected costs and revenue and adds or ends service to particular destinations as demand warrants. Top domestic markets Fleet Current fleet As of February 2023, the Allegiant fleet consisted of the following aircraft: Fleet strategy Allegiant Air is known in the aviation industry for acquiring aircraft at the lowest costs it can find. Since its inception, Allegiant has primarily purchased second-hand, used aircraft. However, in recent years, it has purchased some new aircraft when it could negotiate particularly low prices. Used aircraft, while significantly less fuel efficient, can be purchased and refurbished at much lower cost. The fuel costs are also less of a problem because of