Sun Country Airlines arrive at T.F. Green: Are new flights a hint of coastline? – News – providencejournal.com



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Announced Service in Nashville, Minneapolis May Predict Trans-National Access

PROVIDENCE – This spring, Sun Country Airlines will begin service to T.F. Green Airport in Nashville and Minneapolis-St. Paul, officials of airlines and airports announced Tuesday morning.

One of the factors that prompted Sun Country to turn to Green was a personal call from Hasbro's general manager, who is looking for a simple way for employees of the Pawtucket-based production and entertainment company to travel between Rhode Island and the United States. Western coast.

It was thought that Hasbro was considering an outing of Pawtucket, perhaps even from Rhode Island, although the company did not disclose his plans.

"We are evaluating several options to modernize our head office, including the search for a new corporate campus near our current headquarters," said company spokeswoman Julie Duffy, in a November statement. Duffy said the company "is committed to providing a flexible, fully up-to-date and connected workspace to all of its employees, and wishes to find the right solution that will ultimately create the best corporate headquarters for Hasbro in the future".

In an interview Tuesday after flights to Nashville and Minneapolis-St. Iftikhar Ahmad, president and chief executive officer of Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the responsible public agency for Green and five smaller state-owned airports, said Brian Goldner, president and chief of the Hasbro management, had personally called the Sun Country manager to advocate for this service.

Ahmad said that one of Goldner's interests for Sun Country Green served was to allow Hasbro employees, based in Pawtucket, to fly from Rhode Island to the west coast.

Hasbro spokeswoman Duffy confirmed in an email to The Providence Journal that Goldner had spoken to the airline's chief "expressing his support for the airline serving Green" because he wanted a simple way for his employees to go to the west coast. .

While Nashville and Minneapolis-St. Tuesday's announcement was at the center of Paul's attention. Officials who spoke at the press conference seemed to be thinking of a possible new Sun Country announcement.

"We are waiting for the next announcement of new destinations, Brian, so do not be shy," said Senator Jack Reed, addressing Brian Davis, the airline's marketing director, who was present at the conference. press.

Several of the speakers noted the recent extension of Green 's main runway and said that it had contributed to the recent growth of the airport, including Sun Country' s announcement Tuesday. Ahmad said that in the last two years, Green has grown from seven airlines to eleven and 17 non-stop destinations to 29.

One of the ways in which the longer runway would help attract additional flights is to allow planes with a fuel load capable of reaching the west coast to take off from Green.

Sun Country will offer four flights a week to each city, starting April 8, officials said Tuesday. Flights will return to Nashville International Airport and to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

One-way flights to Nashville will start at $ 69 and travel to Minneapolis-St. Paul at $ 79. The tickets went on sale Tuesday at suncountry.com.

Service in Nashville is scheduled at least during Labor Day and in Minneapolis-St. Paul at least until the end of October.

The airline, based in Minneapolis-St. Paul flies a fleet of 30 Boeing 737s, including 26 737-800s and the remaining 737-700s. From its Minneapolis hub, Sun Country offers flights to west coast destinations, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as Denver.

Trade Secretary Stefan Pryor said Virgin Pulse, a Providence-based digital health management company, would likely be a key Sun Country customer because Virgin Pulse had merged last year with Red Brick, an employee engagement company in Minneapolis.

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