Citing a pilot shortage and high fuel costs, Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines is its pausing seasonal flights to Honolulu and Fairbanks. The airline reports strong demand for flights across its entire network, but says its operational capabilities remain constrained by workforce shortages. Combined with sky-high fuel prices, the airline has decided not to fly some of the longest and most expensive to operate routes in its network.
Hawaii and Alaska flights a casualty of the widespread pilot shortage and high fuel costs
Sky Country Airlines is slightly unusual in that it operates a handful of year round routes but far more seasonal routes. Among the seasonal routes planned this Northern Hemisphere summer were flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Honolulu (HNL), San Francisco (SFO) and Honolulu, and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Fairbanks (FAI).
But, as first reported by Hawaii-based news outlet KHON, these flights won’t be happening this year. “Anticipating that we will continue to be operationally constrained by workforce shortages, including crew, Sun Country is adjusting our summer flying schedule to align better with staffing and aircraft availability,” said Sun Country Airlines spokesperson Wendy Burt.
“We are eliminating service to Fairbanks and Honolulu – two long-haul flights that will also save on high fuel costs. We apologize to our guests for the change.”
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Sun Country Airlines route map (blue routes are seasonal). Source: Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines culls flights to maintain operational reliability
Just sitting outside the top ten of the biggest passenger airlines in the US, Sun Country Airlines said it had enjoyed high passenger demand in the first quarter of 2022. But they want to provide a reliable ongoing service and align their flying with the current high fuel prices.
“Sun Country has grown total block hours by 30% versus the first quarter of 2019, and we expect significant growth throughout 2022,” says Ms Burt. “We are hopeful we will be better positioned to serve our traveling public during what we expect to be a busy summer season.”
Ms Burt adds it isn’t all bad news. While the flights to Honolulu and Fairbanks won’t be happening this year, the airline is adding new seasonal flights to Vancouver, Burlington, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Spokane this summer. In the last couple of weeks, flights to Jacksonville, Charleston and Savannah have commenced.
Sun Country Airlines operates a fleet of Boeing 737s from its Minnesota base. Photo: Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country not escaping the pressures the broader airline industry faces
Sun Country Airlines has largely flown under Simple Flying’s aviation news radar, but the airline is not escaping pressures its bigger competitors throughout the US have faced. IATA’s jet fuel price monitor reveals the price of jet fuel in North America has risen 141% over the past 12 months – above the global average of 126%.
A month ago, Sun Country President Dave Davis was confident his airline could handle the increased cost of fuel. He said as the airline’s amount of flying increases, Sun Country’s per seat per mile operating costs will drop this year. Mr Davis also added one third of Sun Country’s revenue had no exposure to rising fuel prices – the airline can pass on any costs directly across its substantial charter and Amazon flying businesses But that was a month ago and fuel prices have kept rising, perhaps tempering Mr Davis’ optimism.
Sun Country Airlines says any passengers who were booked on canceled flights to Honolulu and Fairbanks will automatically be refunded to their original form of payment.
“We are hopeful for a return of Honolulu service for the 2023 travel season,” adds Mr Burt.
Source: KHON
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