Sun Country expands to Canada with a summer route between MSP and Vancouver

Sun Country Airlines is expanding to Canada for the first time.

Beginning May 20, the Twin Cities-based carrier will fly nonstop from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Vancouver International Airport, pending government approval.

It will mark Sun Country's first route to the United States' northern neighbor in its 36-year history, the company said Monday. Sun Country has long flown to Mexico, hence the airline's name. It also shuttles customers to Alaska, bypassing Canada on its way.

In the last year, Sun Country has made its new route strategy clear: expand outside of its MSP fortress hub and open summer seasonal routes to large, northern and coastal cities.

Vancouver is a popular cultural destination in and of itself, as well as a jumping-off point for outdoor adventuring and sightseeing around British Columbia.

But like many of its new route announcements, service will be limited. It will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

With the new route, Sun Country now flies 92 different routes to 56 airports. The airline, which is headquartered at MSP, announced 47 new markets in 2019.

"We are thrilled to be adding Vancouver to our ever-evolving list of routes and believe there is significant demand for low-cost service to this great destination," Grant Whitney, Sun Country's chief revenue officer, said in a news release.

Kristen Leigh Painter • 612-673-4767