January 1983: Backed by several Twin Cities investors, Sun Country is built from scratch by a group of pilots and flight attendants from the defunct Braniff International Airlines.
Spring 1997: Bought by leisure travel entrepreneur Bill La Macchia Sr. of Milwaukee.
December 2001: Ceases flying operations and files for bankruptcy after Sept. 11 attacks create travel recession.
January 2003: Key assets bought by a local investor group. Flights restarted in April.
November 2006: Acquired by Petters Group Aviation, which was owned by Tom Petters, and Whitebox Advisors. Petters bought out the Whitebox stake a year later.
October 2008: Petters is arrested on fraud-related charges on Oct. 3. Three days later, Sun Country files for Chapter 11 protection in a move that separates it from Petters.
July 2011: Mitch and Marty Davis acquire Sun Country for $34 million, outbidding other potential buyers in an auction staged by its bankruptcy trustee.
December 2017: The Davis brothers sell Sun Country to Apollo Global Management of New York.
Staff Reports
