2 minute read
HERE COMES THE SUN
Sun Country Selected To Serve Eau Claire Airport
SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES WILL REPLACE SKYWEST as the commercial airline serving the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday that Sun Country, which is based in Minneapolis, had been selected to provide service to the Eau Claire airport.
Advertisement
SkyWest, which currently provides daily flights to and from Chicago, informed the DOT in March that it wanted to stop serving Eau Claire, which it has flown to and from since 2010. This kicked off an application process from airlines wishing to fill the void.
Two other airlines – Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express – also applied, and in May the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission voted to recommend that the DOT pick Sun County.
While an official start date hasn’t been established, it will likely
L
be in early December, according to a media release from the airport.
The switch to Sun Country will mean an end to daily commercial flights to and from Eau Claire.
According to the announcement, “Sun Country Airlines will provide two flights per week to the
Development
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and at least two flights per week seasonally to Ft. Myers, FL, Orlando, FL and Las Vegas, NV. The rotation of the seasonal hub will adjust based upon the time of year.”
Service will be provided in 186seat Boing 737s.
“The decision by the US DOT to select Sun Country Airlines to serve the region provides an exciting opportunity to work with an UltraLow-Cost Carrier that is already utilized by many area travelers,” said Charity Zich, the airport’s director. “We look forward to working with Sun Country and thank the Department for expediting their carrier selection process.”
Sun Country currently flies 98 routes and serves 78 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Find out more online at chippewavalleyairport.com.
ibrary Ready to Book It Back to Refreshed Digs
BIG UPGRADES TO L.E. PHILLIPS LIBRARY NEARLY COMPLETED
AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF RENOVATION AND OPERATING OUT OF A TEMPORARY LOCATION, the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in downtown Eau Claire will reopen soon. The library announced in July that it would be back in business at 400 Eau Claire St. in earlier September following an $18.5 million renovation and addition project that started in May 2021. Highlights of the renovation include the addition of a third floor, which will include a new 200-seat community room and an all-new Innovation Lab with classroom-style spaces intended for a variety of events, workshops, and gatherings. Other changes include updated infrastructure for heating and cooling, the creation of expanded kids areas, a dedicated teen space, a tween space, additional meeting and study rooms, and much more. The project was funded by $11.5 million from the city of Eau Claire and $7 million from private donations. In preparation of the move back to its permanent home, the library will close its temporary location, 2725 Mall Drive, after Aug. 6. Digital library services will pause briefly Aug. 9-10, and a “soft” reopening will occur in early September. Grand reopening events will kick offer Sept. 26. Learn more online at www.ecpubliclibrary.info. –V1 staff