RDU lands a new low-cost airline that aims to attract leisure travelers
Sun Country Airlines announced Monday that it will begin offering regular flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport for the first time this spring.
Sun Country will fly twice a week round trip between RDU and its hub at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport starting May 14. The budget airline says it will operate the flights Mondays and Fridays through Labor Day using 737-800 aircraft.
Sun Country becomes the 11th airline to operate out of RDU and joins Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit in catering to leisure travelers. Michael Landguth, the airport’s president, described Sun Country as an established airline known for good customer service at an affordable price.
“We believe Sun Country will be a great option for leisure travelers looking to book budget-friendly fares between the Research Triangle and the Twin Cities,” Landguth said in a written statement.
Delta Air Lines, which also has a hub in Minneapolis-St. Paul, is the only other carrier to offer nonstop flights between RDU and the Twin Cities.
RDU is one of nine cities Sun Country will begin serving from its hub in May. Others include Cincinnati; Houston; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Fairbanks, Alaska, and Kalispell/Glacier National Park in Montana.
Sun Country says it operates many of its routes only part of the year to “to match peak leisure travel demand.” The airline operates more than 85 routes to more than 50 destinations in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
RDU is coming off its slowest year for passenger traffic since 1987, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to curtail air travel. Airlines now offer nonstop flights from RDU to 38 destinations, down from 57 before the pandemic but up from 25 at the lowest point in air travel last year.
This story was originally published January 25, 2021 at 10:34 AM.
