Sun Country Airlines abruptly replaces CEO Stan Gadek

Stan Gadek is no longer the chief executive officer of Sun Country Airlines, KARE 11 reports. John Fredericksen, a 10-year veteran of the Mendota Heights-based carrier, will take over the role on an interim basis.

"Our experienced management team, along with our dedicated Sun Country employees will ensure that our customers continue to have the excellent airline experience they have come to expect from the hometown airline," Fredericksen said in a statement.

The Star Tribune says Gadek helped navigate the once struggling company through bankruptcy, the Great Recession and the downfall of former owner Tom Petters. Petters is serving a 50-year prison sentence for orchestrating a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme.

“The board wishes Mr. Gadek well, and appreciates the many good works he performed in his nearly five-year term as the leader of Sun Country Airlines,” the airline said in a statement.

The Business Journal notes Gadek also served as the airline's chief financial officer from 2000 to 2008.

The Davis family, which owns Minn.-based quartz countertop maker Cambria, bought the airline in 2011, according to the Pioneer Press.