Is Sun Country Airlines Safe?
Sun Country Airlines is generally regarded as one of the safest American airlines. The carrier has unlocked prominent safety milestones since its inception in June 1982. This was possible because of the airline’s religious adherence to international aviation safety protocols, rigorous training of crew members, extensive range of cutting-edge Boeing aircraft, and constant efforts towards improvement. Despite being an ultra-low-cost carrier, Sun Country has shown commendable dedication towards providing safe flights to its flyers.
Sun Country Airlines is recognised by IATA and has successfully achieved the IATA Operational Safety Audit. It is also certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and comes under the category of Part 121 carrier, which includes the airlines that firmly follow strict aviation standards.
The airline has also achieved a 7/7 score in the safety aspect by AirlineRatings.com. Sun Country has been awarded the Best Low-Cost Carrier Award, which includes the safety and reliability component of the company as well.
Is it Safe to Fly with Sun Country Airlines?
Sun Country is featured in the list of Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2025 by AirlineRatings.com. To gain more insights into the statement, it is crucial to examine its components, including past accidents and improvements, fleet advancements, internal policies for recruiting pilots, certifications, and passenger reviews. Read this blog to explore how safe it is to fly with the carrier.
Safety Records and Past Incidents
The airline has made a phenomenal presence in the world of aviation. It hasn’t caused any fatalities in the past 42 years since its foundation. They have a commendable safety record. However, there have been a few incidents in recent years that have led to security compliance violations, resulting in FAA investigations as well. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Los Angeles to Minneapolis: The Boeing 737 of Sun Country Airlines departed from Los Angeles on July 14th, 2025 met with one engine failure, leading to sparks and flames. The plane made an emergency landing at the LAX Airport. However, fortunately, no fatalities were caused. FAA is investigating the incident personally.
- Sun Country Flight 606: The flight was traveling from Phoenix to Minneapolis when, experienced a compressor stall event in its engine. The pilot made an emergency landing, avoiding any more complications. In this case, also, no casualties were caused.
- Sun Country Flight 428: This incident was caused due to the deviation made by the pilot without authorising it with Air Traffic Control. This brought the flight extremely close to another Air Canada Flight, which could have caused disastrous outcomes.
It can be highlighted in context to these events that, however, Sun Country’s engine events have caused fear in the minds of its customers. But the professionalism of the pilots cannot be overlooked. The way pilots got hold of the situation and handled it calmly without causing any severe injuries to the passengers is truly commendable. Also, the airlines’ cooperation with FAA investigations highlights their dedication to improvement.
Fleet Modernisation and Regular Maintenance
According to the latest information, Sun Country Airlines has a collection of 66 aircraft. Out of which 33 are passenger and 33 are cargo aircraft. Their fleet consists of the following:
- Boeing 737s
- Boeing 737-800
The next generation of aircraft is widely recognised for fuel efficiency and passenger capacity. The Boeing 737 is designed for enhanced aerodynamic performance. It incorporates digital design and is made with advanced alloys. Their unique and distinctive features make them efficient for the airline’s operations.
Sun Country is also expanding its fleet. It will be adding Boeing 737-900ERs into its passenger fleet by late 2025 or early 2026. This decision reflects the airline’s dedication to ensuring a safe travel experience for its customers. As the Boeing aircraft is designed with advanced flight control systems, a glass cockpit, advanced winglets, collision avoidance systems, and much more, to prioritizes passenger safety above everything else.
Regulatory Oversights and Safety Certifications
The carrier is overseen by the aviation administrations of the United States. Apart from them, Sun Country also follows the safety guidelines of various significant associations. The federations that conduct frequent audits of the American airline are as follows:
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a part of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).
Sun Country also intricately follows the safety regulations made by these international associations:
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
The airline is also an active participant in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). The audit encompasses all the essential aspects in analysing the safety of the flight. Sun Country’s successful completion of this audit several times and the act of receiving an IOSA Certificate again highlight its attempts towards safeguarding its customers from all sorts of dangers.
Pilot Training and Crew Standards
Sun Country Airlines is linked with a flying school known as ATP Flight School. The graduates of this prestigious institution get the opportunity to accelerate their careers by associating with the airline itself. The school offers various professional courses and training, which include:
- Jet Transition Training
- Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP)
This academy trains pilots in flying a diverse range of aircraft, ranging from passenger flights to charter and cargo services. The experienced trainers offer various training programs to the pilots, such as ab initio pilot training or initial pilot training, advanced pilot training, and emergency simulated training to the pilots. These trainings empower the aspiring pilots with skills such as:
- Flight Operations Proficiency
- In-depth knowledge regarding aviation
- Navigation & Meteorology
- Multi-Crew Coordination (MCC)
- Compliance with Aviation Protocols
- Simulator Training
- Mastery in Emergency Procedures
Sun Country Airlines is also highly conscientious towards recruiting flight attendants. They ensure that their customers get the utmost comfort and assistance throughout their air expedition. The cabin crew is expected to be adept in the following skills:
- Effectively responding to Emergencies
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem-Solving Techniques
- First aid
- Evacuation protocols
- Passenger safety and crisis communication
The airline’s strictness towards such recruitment processes shows the company’s dedication to maintaining flyers’ safety.
Passenger Reviews and Global Rankings
The passenger reviews of Sun Country Airlines are usually a blend of both negatives and positives. Although, majority of them are inclined towards negative. The travellers don’t find any issues with the mechanical guarding of the flights, but they have operational dissatisfaction with the airline. The negative feedback arises from the flight delays, poor customer care support, delayed refunds, and inadequate compensation for problems. However, others appreciate the carrier for providing a decent air voyage throughout the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America at affordable costs.
Sun Country Airlines has also achieved several accolades and prominent global rankings, making it one of the most renowned American Low-Cost carriers. Some of which are listed here:
- The carrier is awarded the Best Low-Cost Carrier Airline in North America award by SKYTRAX in 2023.
- Sun Country is regarded as the Best Low-Cost Carrier in North America at the Paris Airshow World Airline Awards in 2023.
- Sun Country Airlines was awarded the CAPA Low Cost Carrier of the Year award for 2024.
- The airline is also certified as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline by SKYTRAX.
These awards and certifications reflect Sun Country’s rapidly growing global presence. Sun Country Airlines is also becoming more reliable and gradually becoming passengers’ favourite carrier, especially in North America.
Conclusion
It can be clearly concluded that Sun Country Airlines is considered one of the safest Low-Cost airlines of North America. This blog presents a comprehensive analysis incorporating the facts regarding the airline’s safety incidents, fleet advancements, safety audits and certifications, insights on pilot training and recruiting flight attendants, and valuable passenger reviews, which showcase the carrier’s safety ratio. Passengers flying with Sun Country can go through the above-mentioned details to get more clarity on how safe the airline is.
To know more about airlines’ safety record, travellers can also read Is Ethiopian Airlines Safe? and Is It Safe to Fly with Turkish Airlines?.
FAQs
Sun Country Airlines is usually regarded as a safe Low-Cost airline. To know more about the safety component, flyers can read this blog.
Yes, Sun Country operates modern Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees the airline’s compliance with safety.
Yes, Sun Country Airlines has a hiring partnership with ATP Flight School.
Yes, Sun Country has been maintaining a good safety record with no major incidents since its inception.