U S Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretary - •-''•'-' • O r C 11/' . 1 rv^r;t20 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , SE Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Office o ( th e Secretar

y iji j HA Y 2 b P h U 2 of Transportatio n



### OC T 

### 2 5 201 0 Mr . Steve n D . Londo n Executiv e Vic e Presiden t & Chie f Operating Officer Beku mAmeric aCorporatio n P.O . Bo x 56 7 Williamston , M I 48895-056 7 Dea r Mr . London : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r o f Octobe r 1 5 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g Su n Countr y Airline s t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s aske dtha t I respon dt o you r lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s tha t

ar e currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for DC A - Kansa s Cit y service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma y b e use dt o serv e an y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansin g with 129

- o r 162-seat aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , with 99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s Cit y utilizin g 137-seat aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76

- o r 86-sea t regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Ai r Tran Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r Fort Myers o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117

- o r 137-seat aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s currentl y unde r revie w b y th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understan dthat I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

th e proposals . I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l fully conside r

al l o f th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .Mr . Steve n D . Londo n

Pag e 2 A s i s ou r norma l practice , I amplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dmy respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I can provid e furthe r informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . cerel y yours . jusa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

# BEKU

M AMERICA CORPORATIO N 114 0 Wes t GiiiK i River . P.O . Bo x 567 . Williamstoii , Michiga n US A 4889J-036 7 PHONE:5I7-«5J-433 l FAX:517-655-412 1 Octobe r 15 , 201 0 Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N 120 0 New Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : SU N COUNTR Y AIRLINE S APPLICATIO N - #DOT-OST-2000-718 2 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : Pleas e accep t

thi s lette r o f suppor t fo r th e Sun Country Airline s Application . Lansin g i s th e hom e o f Michigan' s stat e government , Michiga n State University , severa l major insuranc e companies , General Motors , hundred s o f state association s an

davibran t

corporat e communit y whos e need s fo

r ai r servic e hav e bee n demonstrate dt o fa r excee dth e commitmen

t currentl y bein g demonstrate db y th e airline s servin g ou r region . Th e Mid

Michiga n Busines s Trave l Coalitio n represent s mor e than 20 0 businesses , governmental an d educationa

l organization s i n th e Mid-Michigan are aandt o tha t end , w e writ e thi s letter

t o suppor t andreques t

approval o f

th e Sun Countr

y applicatio n reference dabove . Beku mAmeric aCorporatio n i s an international company wit h headquarter s i n Berlin , Germany . Fro mit s Berlin , Germany base , Belaimoperate s 5 manufacturin g facilitie s in 4 countrie s o n 3 continents . I n additio n t o international travel , Belcum' s employee s trave l extensively in th e Unite dStates . Industr y standardmeeting s ar e frequentl y hel di n Washingto n D C an ddirec t ai r servic e betwee n Lansin g an dWashingto n D C i s avital servic e no t

onl y fo r meeting s i n th e nation' s capita l bu t als o fo r connectin g throug h th e Atlanti c seaboardan dinternational destinations . Periodi c survey s o f

member s o f

th e Mid-Michigan Busines s Trave l Coalition' s trave l habit s consistently sho w that

Washingto n D C i s th e number on e destinatio n o f

ou r busines s travelers . A s th e hom e o f Michigan' s stat e capitol , direc t servic e t o Washingto n D C i s o f vita l in^)ortanc e t o ou r

region . Accordingly , BekumAmeric aCorporatio n join s th e Lansin g communit

y t o reques t

you r approval o f

th e Su n Countr

y slo t application . Sincerely , Steven D . Londo n Executiv e Vic e Presiden t

& Chie f Operatin g Office

r SDL/l k 10-17 8