Sun Country to start multiple routes to and from Portland, Ore.

Sun Country Airlines announced Wednesday another batch of new routes, all from Portland, Ore., as it grows its network outside the Twin Cities.

The announcement comes a day after the Eagan-based carrier unveiled new routes from Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis and Madison, Wis. And while the airline is ramping up its service from Midwest cities to Florida, it is also targeting large U.S. markets that it said are overpriced for leisure travel.

Jude Bricker, Sun Country's chief executive, said Portland fits in the latter camp, and "we think we can make an impact on those."

Sun Country will be competing on all the Portland routes against Alaska Air, which operates a hub there.

"There's a good traffic and revenue history in Portland," said airline analyst Bob Mann. "It's like many Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest interior markets in that it is heavily leisure-oriented in the off season."

The airline will begin flying nonstop seasonal service between Portland and Honolulu, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Calif., Phoenix and Reno-Tahoe, Nev., in November.

All the routes will be offered four times a week, except Palm Springs and Reno, which will be flown just twice weekly.