Sun Country service to D.C. jeopardized

Sun Country Airline's landing rights at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. may be jeopardy.

Indianapolis-based Republic Airways contends it should have received the landing rights at Reagan National. The federal appeals court for Washington, D.C. has overturned the award of the highly-coveted landing rights and ordered a review.

Mendota Heights-based Sun Country was awarded those landing rights by the U.S. Department of Transportation in December 2010. The airline started service early last year to the Washington, D.C. airport from the Twin Cities via Lansing, Mich.

"We intend to continue operating to Washington until such time as that changes," said Stan Gadek, CEO of Sun Country Airlines. "But I'm hopeful the Department of Transportation will find some resolution that'll accommodate all the parties

The Dept. of Transportation is studying the court ruling.

"At this point, there's been no change at all," Gadek said. "We continue to market and sell seats on those flights and neither have we been directed to do otherwise by the department."