Release #08.SCA2
October 6, 2008

Sun Country Pilots React to Company Bankruptcy Filing

BLOOMINGTON, MN — Capt. Buddy Scroggins, chairman of the Sun Country Airlines group of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l. (ALPA), issued the following statement in response to the airline’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, October 6.

“Today’s bankruptcy filing helps to clarify what legal framework Sun Country will be operating in, which should reduce some of the uncertainty that followed the government raid on the Petters Group headquarters last week. Bankruptcies have become an unfortunate fact of life in the airline industry since 9/11, but most of the airlines that have entered Chapter 11 in the past decade have been able to reorganize successfully. Sun Country’s pilots will do our fair share to help the airline emerge from bankruptcy as a stronger and more profitable company.

“We are hopeful that our management will have the opportunity to seek Debtor in Possession (DIP) financing to carry the airline until our profitable winter flying season begins. We also encourage management to utilize the bankruptcy process in order to spread the financial burden more equally among all its creditors instead of relying primarily on sacrifices from employees.

“ALPA will be communicating with management about the company’s efforts to secure financing and restructure the airline. In the meantime, our goals remain the same: to protect jobs for our members with fair and reasonable pay, benefits and work rules while continuing to provide safe, reliable and affordable service for our passengers.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing 53,000 pilots at 37 airlines in the United States and Canada, including 120 pilots who fly for Sun Country Airlines. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

# # #

ALPA Contacts: Capt. Tom Wychor, (651) 592-4909
Rusty Ayers, (847) 323-9519