February16 , 201 2

KathyThele n -:'^J:i}l:j^H[0? ^ 300 0 Westwoo d Ave . ^:'i^'^i\^'^^;j}j, . Lansing , M l 4890 6 - ^-'^^ ^ 'A i U- o Docke t Managemen tFacilit y••': n '•r n 7 9 o 9 : > 1 U.S . Dep t o fTransportatio n Docke t N o FAA-2012008 9 120 0 Ne wJerse yAv e S E West Buildin g Gran d Floor , Roo m W-12014 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 T o Who m I t Ma yConcern , I a m writin g thi s lette rt o reques t tha t yo u allo wSu n CountryAirline s t o kee p thei rlandin g right s at Reaga n Nationa l Airport . A s Lansin g i s th e capita l cit yo fMichiga n i t i s importan t tha tw e hav e a direc t fligh t t o Washingto n D C tha ti s easil yaccessibl e t o th e Capita l o fth e Unite d States . I fth e fligh t time s fo r arriva l an d departur e hav e t o chang e w e ca n accep tthat , bu t no t havin g Su n CountryAirline s woul d b e a hardshi p t o thos e wh o nee d t o trave l fro m her e t o there . Su n CountryAirline s ha s bee n a dependabl e fligh twher e w e ca n coun t o n arrivin g an d departin g a t th e projecte d times . W e hav e ha d an d stil l hav e othe rairline s tha thav e committe d t o flyin g fro m Lansin g t o Washingto n DC , bu tthe yals o sto p a tlarge rairport s befor e makin g i t t o Washingto n DC . Th e proble m wit h that , particularl yth e Lansin g t o Detroi tt o Washingto n DC , i s tha t thes e flight s ar e notoriousl y delaye d o rcancelle d especiall ya tth e beginnin g o fth e wee k an d thi s ha s cause d issue s fo rpassenger s tha t nee d t o b e i n Washingto n D C b ya particula rtim e fo rthei rwork . Bot h o fth e othe rtw o airline s availabl e ar e muc h mor e expensiv e tha n Su n Country , whic h i s anothe r proble m whe n tryin g t o trave l economically , whethe rfo rbusines s o rpleasure . M yso n live s i n Washingto n D C an d bot h fo rhi m an d ou rfamil yi t i s mor e feasibl e fo ru s t o visi teac h othe rwit h Su n Countryfare s an d fo rhi m t o com e hom e o n holiday s an d specia l famil yoccasions . W e hav e bee n thrille d wit h th e experience s o n Su n Countryan d ar e pleadin g wit h yo u t o le t Su n Country Airline s continu e usin g landin g right s a tReaga n Airport . Dulle s Airpor ti s to o fa rou tt o b e convenien t an d whe n unfamilia rwit h th e are a i t make s i t muc h mor e difficul t i n arrivin g a t specifi cdestination s i n D C plu s th e strai n o fadditiona l costs . Accordin g t o availabl e statistic s i n Th e Lansin g Stat e Journal , ou rloca l paper . Su n Countryha s increase d 156 % i n dail ypassenger s i n th e thir d quarte ro f201 1 ove ra yea rag o befor e Su n Country bega n offerir^

flight s fro m Lansin g t o DC . Price s o n averag e hav e droppe d b y26 % durin g tha t sam e time . Mor e tha n 48,00 0 passenger s hav e flow n thi s rout e sinc e i t starte d offerin g flight s las t April , 2011 . Lansin g i s als o a layove rfo rpassenger s flyin g fro m Minneapoli s int o ou rnation' s capital . A s quote d o n th e Reaga n Nationa l Airportwebsit e th e purpos e o fthi s airport i s "primaril yservin g a s a "short-haul " airport . Reaga n Nationa l offer s nonsto p servic e t o destination s n o furthe rtha n a 1,25 0 mil e perimete r fro m Washington , D.C . a s parto fth e federally-institute d "Perimete rRule" . Lansin g i s approximatel y59 0 mile s awa yfro m Washingto n D C an d fit s th e criteri a state d above . I n summarizing , I a m askin g yo u t o pleas e allo wSu n CountryAiriine s t o continu e wit h landin g rights a t Reaga n Nationa l Airport base d o n th e convenience , reliabilit yan d economi cfactor s the yoffer . Lansing , Michiga n i s takin g advantag e o fth e flight s offere d bySu n CountryAiriin e an d a s wor d spread s th e increas e o fpassenger s continues . W e ca n accep t tha t th e schedul e time s ma yhav e t o change , bu t pleas e d o no t tak e awa ythi s wonderfu l mean s o ftransportatio n wit h Su n Countryt o ou rnation' s capital . 

# Z^t^ni) ^ Sincerel y Kath yThele n