Allegiant Air is introducing a direct flight from Santa Maria to Hawaii, the airline announced May 15.

Weekly nonstop flights from Santa Maria Public Airport to Honolulu International Airport will start in November. Fares for the new route start at $199 each way, the airline said in a news release.

News of the route comes weeks after the airport started operating flights in and out of its extended runway. Airport director Chris Hastert told the Business Times last month that the longer runway means planes can handle more passengers and fuel and fly longer routes. He said the city had been working with Allegiant Air for months about a direct flight to the Aloha State (click here for previous coverage of the new route).

“We’ve been talking to Allegiant about Santa Maria. We’re trying to show them that this would be a good market for service to Hawaii,” Hastert said in April. “If we can get something like that out of our airport, passengers as far as Paso Robles and Montecito would be flying out of Santa Maria.”

The Honolulu-bound flights will depart Santa Maria on Saturday afternoons, and return flights leave Hawaii early Saturday mornings. Allegiant also announced direct flights to Hawaii from Bellingham, Wash.; Eugene, Ore. and Stockton.

“We are pleased to expand our presence in the islands with nonstop service to Maui and additional nonstop service to Honolulu from four more of our existing markets,” Andrew Levy, president of Allegiant Travel, said in the news release. “This is especially exciting because it comes shortly after announcing initial service to Hawaii from Las Vegas and Fresno. We anticipate the new service will be very popular, especially when customers take advantage of great deals when bundling their air, hotel and car rental.”