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The Indianapolis International Airport plans to add nonstop routes to Minneapolis and Orlando this year with the addition of a new leisure travel carrier.
Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines announced Monday that it would begin offering service from Indianapolis to Minneapolis twice a week on May 28. On Sept. 2, it plans to add service from Indianapolis to Orlando.
Sun Country has provided private charter service from Indianapolis before, but this will be its debut for regular commercial service, said Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis International Airport. Sun Country flies Boeing 737 aircraft.
Orlando is the top vacation destination from Indianapolis, Rodriguez said.
Founded in 1982, Sun Country operates low-cost flights on 86 routes to more than 50 destinations between the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Owned by New York-based private equity firm Apollo Global Management, the airline added dozens of routes in 2018 and 2019 and currently operates a fleet of 29 passenger aircraft. It has more than 1,500 employees—the vast majority based in Minnesota.
Since Apollo took ownership control in 2018, Sun Country has invested more than $90 million in capital projects—including aircraft purchase agreements, a $20 million aircraft seat refurbishment project, and a complete upgrade to passenger and departure control software.
Fliers on Sun Country currently must receive a pre-travel health screening and wear face coverings while boarding and in flight.
In May, Sun Country also began flying cargo freight planes for Amazon, which provided a vital revenue stream during the initial slowdown in air travel due to the pandemic.
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Currently only Delta (thru Endeavor Air) offers non-stop service to and from KMSP flying CRJ commuter aircraft, while Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit airlines all have non-stop flights to and from KMCO using larger Boeing and Airbus planes.
It would be nice to fly to Mexico or Belize direct from Indy.
You can fly to Cancun seasonally. I wish there were year-round options to placed like Mexico City and Belize City.
“Orlando is the top vacation destination from Indianapolis, Rodriguez said.”
Imagine if people took the thousands of dollars they would pay going to Disney World on a trip to go experience other cultures in other countries.I don’t know if I’ve ever spent as much on an international trip as the average family spends per person on a trip to Orlando. But I’m not picky about where I go and where I stay.
EPCOT doesn’t count? 🙂
Kind of a weird thing to be lecturing people about during a global pandemic, wouldn’t you say?
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Clearly those Americans who choose to use their limited and hard-earned cash to take their kids to Disney World are cultureless cretins and deserve a dressing down by their cultural superiors, who know what’s best for them.
I don’t care if somebody takes their family to Orlando or not, and I am happy about this flight. The more people flying, the better. Personally, Disney World is the last place I’d want to spend my money when there is so much reality to experience. And I think that many other people would feel the same way if they realized how inexpensive international travel could be.
People have the right to travel as they wish to destinations they choose. If Orlando is the top destination as documented by statistics, then so be it. Service providers respond to the market.
Let us hope that pandemic-related illness and economic impact will continually lessen and that flight options for IND will continue to improve. More direct and non-stop flights would be great, but one must face reality that IND is not a major hub and despite the capacity available, efficient design, and pleasant atmosphere, dreaded and dreadful commuter jets are all too common. Granted some advantages of the smaller jets exist — some do have overhead storage accommodating an average roll aboard bag, one is never inconvenienced with a middle seat, and boarding/alighting is faster. For IND one must book considering a layover along with the unfortunate and not uncommon delays and dysfunction, and lack of consumer protection.
Bear in mind, many believe the the best part about Indianapolis is leaving it. The city needs to strive for improvement. The Statehouse is not helping.