The 21-minute Sun Country flight from MSP to Eau Claire may be ending soon

Sun Country's days of flying 90 miles in a 737 from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Eau Claire may soon be over.

The big picture: The Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission last week voted 6-1 to recommend that Utah-based SkyWest receive the multi-million-dollar federal subsidy to serve Eau Claire instead, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal .

Catch up fast: Minneapolis-based Sun Country began serving the airport in 2022 thanks to a $6.5 million annual grant meant to improve travel in rural America.

• It makes the 21-minute flight from MSP four times a week, plus offers seasonal service from Eau Claire to Fort Myers, Orlando, and Las Vegas.

Yes, but: In bidding to keep the subsidy, Sun Country slimmed its proposed MSP to EAU service down to three days a week, while SkyWest, which flies smaller planes, offered 12 flights a week to Chicago O'Hare International, according to the Biz Journal.

What's ahead: The U.S. Department of Transportation will ultimately choose who gets the grant.

• Sun Country's subsidy ends in November.
• The airline said it is awaiting DOT's final word before deciding if it will cease all operations at the EAU airport.

Go deeper: We tried the flight back in April, when we were just one of 16 passengers on a 186-seat plane.