Sun Country Airlines has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) for Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from December 2022.
On Thursday (July 14, 2022), Sun Country Airlines announced that they have been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide service to Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU) in Eau Claire, Wisconsin under the Essential Air Service Program (EAS). From December 2022, the carrier will offer four weekly return trips with two to Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport and approximately two weekly roundtrips to Orlando, Las Vegas or Fort Myers, Florida adjusted seasonally. Under the EAS agreement with Sun Country, the U.S. DOT waived the frequency requirement of providing a minimum of two flights, six days a week.
In Thursday’s announcment, Sun Country Airlines’ Chief Revenue Officer, Grant Whitney, said,
“Sun Country’s business model surges in times of peak demand, including the winter months, and utilizes cargo and charter flying at times of the year with less demand for scheduled service flying. This is a great fit for Sun Country to provide additional service in Wisconsin, and we are excited to bring new service to the Chippewa Valley region. We appreciate the enthusiasm of and partnership with the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport to connect the Chippewa Valley with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the 78 destinations we serve as well as to provide service to Las Vegas, Orlando and Fort Myers.”
Sun currently provides service to Green Bay, Milwaukee and Madison in Wisconsin. Last spring, when SkyWest Airlines / United Express files notice that they intended to terminate EAS at Chippewa Valley, the airport approached Sun Country about providing the service.
In response to the DOT’s request for comments from the community regarding air carrier proposals, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport’s Director, Charity Zich, said,
“The Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission would like to express their unanimous support for the Sun Country Airlines proposal to provide airline service to EAU. Sun Country Airlines provides an exciting opportunity to work with an Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier with a brand that is already known in our region.”
Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ: SNCY) is a new breed of hybrid low-cost carrier founded in 1983 by a small group of pilots and flight attendants. The award winning Minneapolis-St. Paul based airline has distinguished itself as a leader in leisure travel over its nearly 40 years of service. Sun Country offers low fares and safe, reliable, nonstop service to amazing destinations across the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the carrier offers services through their Sun Country Charters and Sun Country Vacations divisions, and also operates cargo CMI services for Amazon.
Source: Sun Country Airlines