HARLINGEN — Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines, an increasingly important transport option for Winter Texans coming to the Rio Grande Valley, is revising its fall schedule to add early-season flights.
This year the airline will offer flights starting Sept. 28, about a month earlier than past years. The airline is also increasing the frequency of flights compared to 2021.
“The biggest news is that Sun Country is coming from Minneapolis earlier than ever, and we should see Winter Texans from Minnesota starting to get in by Sept. 28, which is much sooner than they did last year,” Nicolas Mirman, director of air service and business development at VIA, said Tuesday via email.
“With more frequencies, up to daily service toward November, that means compared to 2021 they will be offering around twice as many seats in the market,” he added. “We’ll be seeing lots of sun-seeking visitors from Minneapolis this coming fall and winter season.”
Sun Country’s increasing presence at Valley International Airport is especially welcome following the announcement this month that Mexico’s Viva Aerobus will cease passenger flights to and from its hub in Monterrey to Harlingen.
On June 1, Sun Country began offering direct flights from Harlingen to Cancun.
Overall, the airline has been raising its number of seats in the market and filling them. In April, Sun Country enplaned 3,186 passengers, and for fiscal 2021-22 has increased the number of passengers flying out of VIA by 24.3 percent.
Mirman added that, in addition to earlier flights this fall season, Sun Country is expected to increase its number of flights to and from Valley International and could even provide daily service.
