Allegiant Air is preparing to further reduce Sun Country Airlines' passenger schedule at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), despite acknowledging that demand in the Twin Cities remains exceptionally strong. During its third-quarter 2026 earnings call on November 4, Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson confirmed that Sun Country's pilot staffing levels remain below requirements, limiting the airline's ability to operate its planned services. The situation matters because Minneapolis is Sun Country's home market and one of the most important battlegrounds in its competition with Delta Air Lines, and with fewer Sun Country flights available, Minneapolis travellers could face reduced competition and potentially higher fares on popular leisure routes.
The reductions are noticeable at MSP, where Sun Country has historically provided an important low-cost alternative to Delta. Earlier cuts removed about 348 September departures, representing roughly one-third of the airline's previously scheduled flights that month. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, October's schedule was subsequently reduced by around 20% year over year, while November's was approximately 8% lighter. Anderson acknowledged that pilot attrition has improved since the previous earnings call, but staffing remains insufficient to support the airline's desired schedule, and the company expects to continue operating below its intended passenger capacity as recruitment and training progress. Competition for experienced pilots is a central challenge: after Allegiant's acquisition in May, many Sun Country pilots reportedly left for larger airlines, with many joining Delta, and Allegiant previously acknowledged that pilot attrition was much higher than anticipated. Delta's position makes the situation particularly difficult: Minneapolis is one of its most important hubs, and the airline consistently accounts for approximately 70% of the airport's passenger market. Sun Country has also expanded its cargo operations, particularly through its partnership with Amazon, and cargo flights have increasingly competed for available aircraft and crew resources, adding pressure on scheduled passenger services.
Despite the continued reductions, Anderson emphasised that the underlying market remains attractive, and the airline plans to expand there and to restore capacity as staffing improves, with recruitment classes already under way. During the November 4 earnings call, he said: "The demand in the Twin Cities is really strong. We want to add capacity there. So for our Sun Country flying, I would expect we'll start adding back flying as the staffing levels rebuild. We have Allegiant. Expect sometime in 2027 to be able to fly Allegiant aircraft from Allegiant bases into the Twin Cities and add some incremental flying." Allegiant nevertheless insists that the current situation is temporary: Anderson indicated that recruitment classes are full and that the company expects to begin restoring Sun Country's passenger capacity as more pilots become available, and expects to introduce its own aircraft into Minneapolis operations sometime in 2027, potentially adding incremental capacity from its existing bases. Nevertheless, Delta's growing presence represents a considerable competitive threat, and whether Allegiant can reverse the trend will depend on how quickly it rebuilds Sun Country's workforce and restores the capacity that made the airline an important competitor at its home airport.