Sun Country Could Lose Its Only EAS Contract

Sun Country faces the potential loss of its only Essential Air Service (EAS) contract in Eau Claire, Wis., as the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission has voted to recommend a different carrier. The decision comes as the current $6.5 million contract with Sun Country is set to expire on Nov. 30, 2024, and the airport is weighing proposals from a different carrier to serve the community.

The vote to recommend SkyWest in lieu of Sun Country is seen as an “exciting opportunity to return to daily scheduled service,” according to the airport’s director, Charity Zich. However, the final decision rests with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), which will have the last say on what airline will serve Eau Claire.

With regular service to its Minneapolis hub along with seasonally-rotating routes to Orlando, Fort Myers, or Las Vegas, the carrier currently provides four-weekly round-trip flights to Eau Claire in 186-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. In July 2022, the airline was selected by the DOT to provide service to the airport under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, replacing SkyWest at the time. It was the first and, so far, the only EAS contract for the airline.

The switch to Sun Country in 2022 was a significant change, as it marked the first time an aircraft this large operated an EAS route within the lower 48 states. However, the airport commission’s recent vote indicates a potential shift away from Sun Country.

A decision on whether to renew the Sun Country contract through September 2028 or sign a three-year contract with SkyWest now lies with the DOT. As part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Congress placed limits on long-distance EAS flights, which would include the seasonal routes from Eau Claire.

Even with these new limits coming into play, the community’s airport commission still thinks a network carrier would be better for both business and leisure travelers.

“With SkyWest Airlines no longer constrained by the previous shortage of pilots, their proposal will allow us to capture some of both the returning business travel market and serve those with continued interest in leisure travel,” Zich said in a July 8 letter supporting SkyWest’s proposal. The regional carrier’s plan includes CRJ-200 service to Chicago O’Hare under the United Express brand.

Since Sun Country was awarded the contract, other non-regional airlines have recently proposed EAS service as well, including JetBlue in Presque Isle, Maine and Breeze in Ogdensburg, N.Y.

Responding to the airport commission’s letter, a Sun Country spokesperson said in a statement that all of its flights were “well-received.” The airline added, “We’ll now wait for the response from [the] DOT.”

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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