Summary
- Sun Country risks losing Minneapolis-Eau Claire flights to SkyWest due to the airport commission’s recommendation.
- SkyWest’s proposal for more flights to Chicago O’Hare hub is favored over Sun Country’s proposal of reduced service.
- The decision to award the subsidy rests with the US Department of Transportation.
Sun Country’s short hop between Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, serving Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport could come to an end. After a fresh round of bidding, the airport commission favored giving the subsidized service to SkyWest, which offered flights to Chicago O’ Hare in its bid. The ultimate decision to choose the airline, however, lies with the US Department of Transportation.
Sun Country could lose Minneapolis -Eau Claire flights
The Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission is in favor of giving the multimillion-dollar subsidy to SkyWest Airlines. The airport is currently served by scheduled flights to Minneapolis by Sun Country Airlines.
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The route is around 90 miles, and the Boeing 737 flight usually takes under 30 minutes to complete. Sun Country offers service to Minneapolis four times a week from Eau Claire and seasonal services to Fort Myers, Orlando, and Las Vegas.
But Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission voted 6–1 in its recommendation to hand over the new contract to SkyWest when Sun Country’s current $6.5 million contract expires in November. The commission wrote in its letter,
“The Commission felt the SkyWest Airlines (dba United Express) proposal provided the best opportunity to serve the maximum number of passengers when considering their broad network connectivity through the Chicago O’Hare hub.”
The decision lies with DOT
This is the only Essential Air Service (EAS) contract currently with Sun Country. In its new bid, it proposed to bring the service down to three times a week as opposed to SkyWest, which has offered 12 weekly flights.
Photo: Austin Deppe | Shutterstock
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport director Charity Zich said that the recommendation for SkyWest was seen as an “exciting opportunity to return to daily scheduled service.” The new contract will last for three years until September 2028. In support of SkyWest, Zich said,
“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.”
The ultimate decision to award the subsidy rests with the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Sun Country has said that its flights to Eau Claire have been well received and that it would wait for DOT to deliver its decision. When the airline was awarded the contract in 2022, it was the first time an airplane as big as the Boeing 737 operated an EAS route in the lower 48 states.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
What is EAS?
The Essential Air Services program is aimed at providing connectivity to small communities in the US, with the federal government providing subsidies to airlines for operating flights to these communities to “maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service.”
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The program came into effect in 1978 with the introduction of the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA). Airlines that qualify for EAS contracts get financed for two round trips a day with aircraft carrying between 30 and 50 passengers. Those interested in finding out how the program works can read Simple Flying’s analysis in the following article.

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What Is The USA’s Essential Air Service Program?
Originally a decadal program, the EAS is now in its 44th year.