Sun Country Airlines

Sun Country Airlines is a US low-cost airline based at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, where it also has its headquarters. It combines scheduled passenger flights with charter work and cargo flying for Amazon. Since 13 May 2026 it has been owned by Allegiant Travel Company, the parent of Allegiant Air. As of Allegiant's report for the quarter to 30 June 2026, the two airlines still fly under separate FAA operating certificates; Allegiant expects a single certificate in 2028 and plans to phase out the Sun Country trademarks as the airline is folded into the Allegiant network. In other words, the Sun Country name is expected to disappear in the next few years.

History

Sun Country was incorporated on 2 July 1982 and flew its first revenue flight on 20 January 1983, a charter from Sioux Falls to Las Vegas on a Boeing 727 leased from Air Florida. Its founder and first chief pilot was Captain Jim Olsen, and several early staff came from Braniff, which had stopped flying in 1982. Scheduled passenger service from Minneapolis started in 1995.

The following decades brought several owners. Petters Group Worldwide and Whitebox Advisors bought the airline out of bankruptcy in 2006, and it filed for Chapter 11 again on 6 October 2008. The Davis family, owners of Cambria, bought it in July 2011. Jude Bricker, a former Allegiant executive, became chief executive in July 2017 and began moving the airline towards an ultra-low-cost model; funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management bought it in December 2017. Amazon took a minority stake in December 2019, the first cargo flight for Amazon followed in May 2020, and Sun Country listed on NASDAQ on 17 March 2021.

Business model and network

Sun Country's aircraft are all-economy, with three seat types sold as Best, Exit Row and Standard. Its scheduled network reaches the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and many routes are seasonal. Minneapolis dominates: about 93% of its 2025 scheduled capacity started or ended there. At 30 June 2026 its Minneapolis network served about 96 markets, it served about 17 other markets, and it was selling 109 routes. Charter customers have included the US armed forces, NCAA football teams and Major League Soccer, which made it the league's official carrier in 2022. The cargo agreement with Amazon, amended in June 2024, has an initial term running to October 2030.

Fleet

Sun Country flies only Boeing 737s. Allegiant Travel Company's Q2 2026 report lists 47 Sun Country aircraft in passenger service at 30 June 2026, made up of 44 Boeing 737-800s and three 737-900ERs. Separately, it lists 22 Boeing 737-800 freighters flown on Amazon's behalf, and three more 737s held for lease to other operators.

2026

• 11 January 2026: Allegiant Travel Company announced an agreement to buy Sun Country in a cash-and-stock deal.
• 15 April 2026: the US Department of Transportation approved the merger, and shareholders of both companies approved it on 8 May.
• 13 May 2026: the deal closed. Sun Country chief executive Jude Bricker and chair Jennifer Vogel joined the board of the combined company.