Sun Country to fly between Las Vegas and Mexico, Alaska

Sun Country Airlines, a Minnesota-based airline, will start to offer nonstop flights later this year from McCarran International Airport to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Anchorage, Alaska.

Sun Country will become the second U.S. carrier in more than a decade to offer nonstop international flights out of Las Vegas, following Frontier Airlines launching nonstop flights to Cancun and Los Cabos last month. American West Airlines once offered nonstop service to Mexico, but that ended in 2008.

“We’re excited to expand our service for residents to explore new destinations and to bring more visitors to experience all that Las Vegas has to offer,” said Chief Commercial Officer Ted Botimer in a statement. “Our focus on low fares and great customer service is a great fit in this market, and we look forward to our continued partnership with McCarran and the Clark County Department of Aviation.”

Sun Country’s nonstop flights to Anchorage are slated to start May 18. The Cabo San Lucas flights begin June 6 and Puerto Vallarta on June 7.

The flights start at $129 one way and can be booked at Sun Country’s website.

The seasonal service from McCarran to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will operate twice weekly, with roundtrips on Saturday and Wednesday. The service will expand to four times per week on June 5, with roundtrips also offered on Thursday and Sunday. One-way fares will start at $159.

Sun County will offer twice weekly roundtrips to Los Cabos Mexico International Airport on Thursday and Sunday. One-way fares start as low as $129.

The airline will operate a twice weekly nonstop service to Puerto Vallarta International Airport with roundtrip flights on Monday and Friday. One-way fares as low as $139.

“The appeal of Las Vegas coupled with the convenience of nonstop service makes for a winning hand, and McCarran International is pleased to see our partners at Sun Country will expand their network to include three additional markets,” Chris Jones, McCarran’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “Whether it’s local residents flying out or visitors coming here to Las Vegas, we’re confident Sun Country’s point-to-point service will be well received by those flying in and out of Anchorage, Alaska, as well the great Mexican resort destinations of Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.”

The addition of the new nonstop locations is part of a larger network expansion announced by Sun Country Airlines. The addition is their largest expansion of routes in the company’s history, which includes 19 new routes and seven new airports.

The airline, whose maiden flight in 1983 was between Sioux Falls, S.D. and Las Vegas, operated as a charter airline until 1999, at which time it launched scheduled service with an initial 22 routes offered.

The airline has seen rapid growth over the past year. After the announcement, the airline will operate 86 routes across 53 airports, which marks a nearly 40 percent growth in routes since June, Sun Country said in a statement.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.