Sun Country Airlines’ Pilots Respond to Merger Announcement with Allegiant Air

McLean, Va.—The pilots of Sun Country Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), responded to yesterday’s announcement of a proposed merger between Sun Country Airlines and Allegiant Air. While details of the agreement are still emerging, Sun Country pilots look forward to learning more about the potential improvements that a merger would bring for Sun Country’s approximately 700 ALPA pilots. Both the Sun Country and the 1,400 Allegiant pilots, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), are currently in contract negotiations with their respective managements, with the SCA pilots having opened talks in August 2025.

Captain Sam Larson, chair of the Sun Country Master Executive Council (MEC), issued the following statement:

"ALPA has 90 years of experience negotiating mergers, large and small, between ALPA carriers and ALPA-to-non-ALPA carriers such as Allegiant. We will be reaching out to IBT leadership to begin collaborative efforts toward a fair and equitable integration of the pilot seniority lists. In addition, we will jointly develop a comprehensive Collective Bargaining Agreement that reflects the best interests of both groups.

“In the immediate term, there will be no operational changes for our pilots. Daily operations will continue as normal, with both airlines functioning independently while we await the necessary approvals from government regulatory agencies. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and professionalism throughout the integration.

“ALPA will continue to protect the interests of Sun Country pilots while also leveraging the strengths of both pilot groups to forge a unified pilot group that champions safety, prioritizes job security, and provides industry-standard compensation and benefits. We believe that a collaborative approach will be essential to the success of this merger and the well-being of all pilots involved."

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on X @ALPAPilots.