Sun Country Doubles Down On Cargo With New Cincinnati Base
Sun Country Picks Cincinnati For Its Next Base
Sun Country Airlines is planting a new flag in the Midwest. The carrier will open an operational base at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on January 31, 2026, expanding its footprint beyond its long-time stronghold in Minneapolis–St. Paul.
Unlike a typical “new base = new leisure routes” announcement, this one is built first and foremost around cargo flying. Sun Country will station freighter aircraft at CVG and base crews locally, so pilots and flight attendants start and finish their trips in Cincinnati.
Why CVG Makes Sense For Sun Country
CVG is a natural choice for this kind of move. The airport is:
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A major hub and sorting center for Amazon Air
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One of the fastest-growing cargo airports in the United States
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Sitting in a region with solid underlying passenger demand
Sun Country has leaned heavily into its Amazon partnership as part of its diversified business model. By tying a base directly into Amazon’s CVG operation, the airline is effectively building its network around one of its most important customers, while also giving itself a better launchpad for future growth.
What The New Base Means Operationally
The new CVG base will function as a primary station for Sun Country’s cargo fleet:
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Aircraft will be parked and turned at Cincinnati between missions
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Locally based crews will begin and end their duty days at CVG
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The airline will use shared airport facilities rather than building its own complex
This setup cuts down on deadheading and repositioning flights, improves scheduling efficiency, and gives the operation more resilience when weather or disruptions hit the system. Sun Country is already hiring pilots for Cincinnati and says the base will improve reliability, efficiency, and flexibility across its cargo flying.
The carrier is also openly evaluating additional base locations, suggesting that CVG could be the template for how Sun Country grows its network and balances cargo with its scheduled and charter flying.
More Than Just Another Dot On The Map
For Sun Country, CVG isn’t just “one more airport” on a route map; it’s an operational lever. The airline runs a hybrid model built around:
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Seasonal scheduled leisure routes
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Charter flying for sports teams, groups, and partners
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Dedicated cargo flying, anchored by Amazon
Basing aircraft and crews at a key logistics hub gives Sun Country tighter control over its cargo schedule and better tools to recover the operation when things go sideways. It also opens up quality-of-life improvements and career opportunities for pilots and other crew members who’d rather be based in the Cincinnati metro area than in Minnesota.
As local demand around CVG continues to grow, the airline will also have the option to layer on more scheduled passenger service over time, using cargo flying to keep aircraft productive year-round.
Cargo Customers Can Expect Smoother Operations
For customers like Amazon, the benefits are straightforward:
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Fewer last-minute ferry flights and crew deadheads
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More flexibility to swap aircraft or crews during irregular operations
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Faster recovery after weather or system disruptions
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Stronger ability to handle peak periods from one of the country’s biggest logistics hubs
Sun Country plans to operate from shared facilities at CVG, which keeps the footprint simple and lets the airline get the base up and running without a massive infrastructure project. Over time, additional bases would further reinforce its cargo network and overall operational resilience.
Bottom Line
Sun Country’s new CVG base is a clear signal that the airline is leaning even harder into its diversified model, with cargo — and Amazon in particular — playing a central role.
By turning Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky into a cargo hub and crew base, Sun Country gains efficiency, reliability, and flexibility, while also positioning itself for future growth in both freight and passenger flying. It may not be the flashiest announcement from a leisure traveler’s perspective, but strategically, this is a big move for the airline’s next phase of expansion.
