Minneapolis–Saint Paul travellers are seeing fewer Sun Country flights, and the situation is not fixing itself quickly. On a November 4 earnings call, Allegiant Air CEO Greg Anderson confirmed that the airline — which bought Sun Country in May — is cutting even more of the carrier's schedule at MSP because pilot staffing remains below what's needed, even though he described Twin Cities demand as "really strong".
The numbers show how sharp the reduction has been. Around 348 Sun Country departures were dropped from September alone, roughly a third of what was scheduled that month. October's capacity ended up about 20% lighter year over year, with November down roughly 8%. Pilot attrition has slowed since the last earnings call, but recruitment classes are still filling faster than departing crews can be replaced, so the airline expects to fly below planned capacity for the rest of the year.
What makes this awkward is that Minneapolis is Sun Country's home turf — and Delta's fortress. Delta holds about 70% of MSP's passenger market, and after the acquisition many Sun Country pilots jumped ship, with Delta a popular destination. Sun Country's booming Amazon cargo operation is also competing for the same aircraft and crews, squeezing passenger flying further.
For travellers, the stakes are straightforward: Sun Country has long been the budget alternative on leisure routes from MSP, and less competition usually means higher fares. Delta won't automatically absorb every dropped route, but its dominance gives it plenty of room to protect prices where the two overlap.
Allegiant insists the retreat is temporary. Recruitment classes are reportedly full, capacity should be rebuilt as new pilots finish training, and Anderson says Allegiant expects to fly its own aircraft into the Twin Cities from its existing bases sometime in 2027, adding incremental capacity on top of Sun Country's restored schedule. The company still views Minneapolis as a long-term growth market rather than one it plans to abandon.
Whether that works depends on how fast the pilot roster rebuilds — and whether Delta uses the window to lock in more of the market. In the meantime, Minnesotans booking sun-seeking trips should compare fares carefully, since the usual low-cost counterweight at their home airport is running well below form.
