ALPA Council Submits Official Notice to Bargain Amid Expansion

The Sun County Airlines pilot union has decided that it is time to get its fair share of the carrier’s recent earnings spike, aiming to take advantage of the contract becoming amendable in December. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Sun Country Master Executive Council submitted the official notice in a meeting with the CEO on August 29.

The timing reflects the company’s record growth. The ultra-low-cost airline reported its highest-ever second-quarter profit earlier this year, fueled by its dual passenger and cargo operations. By September 2025, the airline expects to put 20 Boeing 737 freighters in service for Amazon Air alongside its 45 passenger aircraft, positioning itself as one of the few carriers balancing scheduled service, charter work, and freight flying. Pilots say that kind of workload deserves a contract that keeps pace with competitors.

“Our airline and the industry as a whole have dramatically changed since our last contract was ratified in 2021. We were coming out of Covid and still predominantly a passenger airline,” said MEC Chair Capt. Sam Larson. “We need a new agreement that reflects the airline we are now, and raises the standard of our contract in line with improvements secured by other pilot groups.”

For Sun Country’s 670 pilots, the negotiations come as airlines of all sizes face demands for improved wages and quality-of-life protections. Other ALPA-represented groups, including at carriers like Delta, United, and Alaska, have recently secured substantial improvements, raising industry-wide expectations. Sun Country pilots are signaling that they intend to follow that trend rather than sit behind it.

“Management likes to remind us how Sun Country is ‘unique’ in the aviation world because very few airlines have the know-how and capacity to conduct scheduled service, freighter, and charter operations simultaneously. We agree – but our current contract doesn’t recognize that uniqueness,” Larson continued. “We need a contract that is as unique as the flying we do, and working with the company, that is what we plan to achieve.”

FMI: www.suncountry.com