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Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey will offer daily nonstop flights to eight cities for the 2026-27 Sun Valley winter season, according to an August 24, 2026, release from Fly Sun Valley Alliance written with Sun Valley Resort and the airport. The cities are Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Salt Lake City, with extra frequency on the Denver and Seattle routes.
For ski and resort travelers, the schedule is the booking map. American Airlines returns with daily Embraer E175 flights from Phoenix and Chicago starting December 17. Delta, United, and Alaska deepen Salt Lake City, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego patterns across November through April windows. Exact seats still sell on each airline, but the alliance calendar is the public plan guests should check before locking lodging.
- Airport: Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in Hailey, about 12 miles south of Ketchum and Sun Valley.
- Eight nonstop cities: Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City.
- American Airlines: Daily Phoenix and Chicago E175 service Dec. 17, 2026, to April 5, 2027.
- Extra frequency: Denver and Seattle get added winter frequencies beyond baseline service.
- Airlines: American, Delta, United, and Alaska operate the published winter map.
What Fly Sun Valley Alliance published
The August 24 Fly Sun Valley Alliance press release says the 2026-27 winter schedule at SUN will offer daily nonstops to eight cities and one-stop connectivity to more than 300 domestic and international destinations. Alliance executive director Carol Waller called the package “One stop to the world” for local residents and visitors.
A companion winter schedule PDF updated August 21 lists airline, aircraft, city pairs, and date bands. The alliance reminds travelers that times can change and that airline websites remain the booking authority. That disclaimer matters: use the PDF to shortlist routes, then confirm the live inventory on American, Delta, United, or Alaska before you buy.
Idaho Statesman coverage of the same announcement repeated the eight-city list and the December start for added ski-season flying. The primary planning documents remain the alliance release and schedule PDF, not secondary roundups.
Sun Valley Resort’s own nonstop flights page mirrors the eight-city pitch and notes free Village and mountain-base parking plus Mountain Rides buses into Ketchum and Elkhorn Springs. That local mobility layer matters after a late SUN arrival when rental counters are busy and resort shuttles need advance seats.
American, Delta, United, and Alaska by route
American Airlines, which began SUN service last winter, will fly daily nonstops from Phoenix and Chicago on Embraer E175 aircraft from December 17 through April 5. The alliance flags the E175 as a reliability upgrade for Hailey travelers compared with smaller regional equipment.
Delta Air Lines keeps year-round Salt Lake City service with three daily nonstops and adds Seattle and Los Angeles nonstops daily from December 19 through January 3, then on Saturdays from January 9 through March 27. That pattern favors holiday peak and weekend ski trips rather than midweek shoulder travel from the West Coast.
United Airlines expands its year-round Denver service to two daily flights from December 17 through April 30 and adds daily Chicago nonstops from December 17 through March 27. Los Angeles runs one to two times daily from December 1 through March 27. San Francisco runs one to two times daily from December 17 through March 27.
Alaska Airlines continues Seattle nonstops with one to two daily flights from November 1 through April 13, then four weekly flights from April 14 through April 30. San Diego appears two to three times weekly from December 18 through March 28. Seattle remains the earliest winter start on the map.
How to use the eight-city map
Guests who can connect over Salt Lake City, Denver, or Seattle gain the densest bank of seats. Direct Phoenix and Chicago American flights matter most for Arizona and Midwest skiers who want to avoid a second bank of weather risk. California travelers should compare Delta and United Los Angeles options against Alaska San Diego days and United San Francisco frequencies before choosing lodging dates.
SUN sits in Hailey, roughly a 25-minute drive from Sun Valley Resort under normal winter road conditions. Resort guests can arrange complimentary airport transportation with reservations, according to Sun Valley’s published nonstop flights page, but that shuttle is a resort amenity rather than an airline product.
Travelers who still need a Boise backup when SUN weather or capacity blocks a preferred day can stage through Idaho’s capital. Deep Arrival’s Boise things to do guide helps fill a forced overnight when a connection misses or a Hailey arrival slides.
Eastern Idaho mountain guests combining Sun Valley with Island Park or Yellowstone shoulder plans can use the same winter air bank into Hailey. The Island Park guide is a practical add-on when the itinerary spans more than one Idaho base.
Booking timing and winter caveats
Holiday weeks between mid-December and early January concentrate demand on every listed city pair. Saturday-only Delta patterns after January 3 make weekday West Coast trips harder unless United or American inventory fits. April shoulder dates thin quickly as American ends April 5 and several United and Alaska banks taper later in the month.
Friedman Memorial Airport winter operations still depend on local weather, mountain approaches, and airline irregular-operations plans. Build same-day pad into ground transfers, keep flexible lodging cancellation rules when you can, and avoid same-day international connections that assume a perfect SUN arrival.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Live in Phoenix or Chicago | Watch American’s daily E175 SUN nonstops from Dec. 17 to April 5 and book before holiday banks fill. |
| Need the densest year-round feed | Use Delta’s three daily Salt Lake City flights and connect from the broader Delta network. |
| Want Seattle timing flexibility | Compare Alaska’s Nov. 1 start and United or Delta Seattle winter banks against your lodging dates. |
| Are flying from Southern California | Price United LAX, Delta LAX Saturday patterns after Jan. 3, and Alaska San Diego weekly days together. |
| Need late April ski travel | Confirm which city pairs still operate after early April, because American ends April 5 and others taper. |
Always recheck the alliance PDF against the airline app on the day you buy. Schedule PDFs are planning tools. Tickets, bags, and irregular-operations rules come from the carrier, not from the alliance calendar.
- Shortlist the city pair first: Eight nonstop cities are not equal. Match airline and date band before you reserve lodging.
- Mark Dec. 17: American Phoenix and Chicago daily E175 service and several United expansions begin then.
- Watch Saturday-only gaps: Some Delta West Coast days shrink to Saturdays after early January.
- Budget Hailey ground time: SUN is in Hailey, not at the resort base. Pad winter road and shuttle time.
- Keep a Boise fallback: Weather and capacity can push a day trip into an overnight elsewhere in Idaho.
Which cities have nonstop winter flights to Sun Valley in 2026-27?
Fly Sun Valley Alliance lists Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Salt Lake City.
When do American Airlines Phoenix and Chicago flights start?
American plans daily Embraer E175 nonstops from Phoenix and Chicago from December 17, 2026, through April 5, 2027.
Which airlines serve Friedman Memorial Airport this winter?
The published map includes American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines.
How far is the airport from Sun Valley Resort?
Friedman Memorial Airport is in Hailey, about 12 miles south of Ketchum and Sun Valley, typically around a 25-minute drive in normal conditions.
Are the alliance PDF times guaranteed?
No. The alliance says dates and times can change and tells travelers to confirm on airline websites before booking.
