Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Martin Moylan
St. Paul, Minn.

Sun Country to defer half of employee pay

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Mendota Heights-based Sun Country Airlines says it must become independent of its parent company, Petters Group Worldwide.

Petters Group and its CEO, Tom Petters, are ensnared in a federal fraud investigation that forced Petters to resign.

Sun Country CEO Stan Gadek said the road to independence will require the airline to defer 50 percent of employees' pay through the end of the year.

Gadek said that's because the airline cannot tap Petters for more loans.

Hobbit Travel owner and minor Sun Country investor George Wozniak believes the airline could survive on its own.

"Fuel has been going down steadily. They made money this summer. And the fall is far better than anyone could have ever dreamed of. They are in a position to operate independently. I think the stars are aligned for that," Wozniak said.

Sun Country is not planning major layoffs among its 850 employees and does not anticipate schedule changes at this time.