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USwOepartmenYOf Assistant Secr^tgry „'l ' / n P ] : [J3p0 New Jeney Avenue, SE 

I^XimporfOtlo n Washington, DC 20590 

Office of the Secferary 

of Transportation 

NOV 162010 

The Reverend Dennis Dease 

President 

University of St. Thomas 

Mail AQU 100 

2115 Summit Avenue 

St, Paul, MN 55105-1078 

Dear Mr. Dease: 

Thank you for your letter of November 3 to Secretary LaHood supporting Sun Country 

Airlines to serve Lansing, Michigan, with continuing service to Minneapolis/St. Paul, 

Minnesota, in the ongoing slot-exemption proceeding at Ronald Reagan Washington 

National Airport (DCA). The Secretary has asked that 1 respond to your letter directly. 

As you know, the U.S. Department of Transportation commenced a proceeding on 

August 30 to reallocate two DCA slot exemptions that are currently held by Republic 

Airline, Inc. (Republic) as a result of its acquisition of Midwest Airlines. Republic has 

been using these two slot exemptions for DCA - Kansas City service. These slot 

exemptions may be used to serve any medium hub or smaller aiiport widiin the 1,250-

mile perimeter of DCA. 

We have received a total of five proposals, briefly outlined below; 

• Sun Country to serve Lansing continuing onto Mimieapolis/St. Paul with 129- or 

162-seat aircraft; 

• Republic, branded as Frontier Airlines, to continue to serve Kansas City, 

Missouri, with 99-seat regional jet aircraft; 

• Southwest Airlines Co., to serve Kansas City utilizing 137-seat aircraft; 

• US Airways, Inc., to serve Pensacola, Florida, utilizing 76- or 86-seat regional jet 

aircraft, depending on the season; and 

• Air Tran Airways, Inc., to serve either Fort Myers or Sarasota, Florida, utilizing 

either 117- or 137-seat aircraft. 

As the slot exemption proceeding is competitive and is currently under review by the 

Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on the merits of the 

proposals. I assure you, however, that the Department will fully consider all of the 
The Reverend Demiis Dease 

Page 2 

proposals, and make its award based-on the selection criteria detailed in the governing 

statutes. -

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and my response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2000-7182 as a contact outside the record of this proceeding. If 1 can provide 

fwther information or assistance, please feeJ free to call me. 

Sincerel 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
H UNIVERSITY of ST.THOMAS om«ofthe p«HdMt 

Mail AQU 100 

2\\b Sumniii ^vrnur 

St. P»uJ. MN 5M05-I078 

U.S.A. 

Telephone; H651)-962-6500 

Ficjim.ie: H65l)-962-<i5CM 

November 3, 2010 ww*«ihom«edu 

Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

MN Airlines, LLC dba Sim Country Airlines recently filed an application for an 

available landing and takeoff slot at Ronald Reagan National Airport in 

Washington, DC. The potential flights which would be flown by Sun Country 

Airlines would be from Minneapolis through Lansing, Michigan to Washington, DC. 

Sxm Country Airlines is well known in Minnesota for its excellent service and lowcost fares. At this time, Sun Country AirUnes cannot fly to Washington Reagan 

airport because of the slot constraints. Awarding of the available takeoff and 

landing slots to Sun Country would provide an immediate competitive fare 

environment for passengers to and from Minneapolis and Lansing that is missing 

today. The enhanced Washington service would also have an immediate impact in 

that more jobs would be created both in Minnesota and in Michigan to operate and 

handle these flights. 

I wo\ild very much appreciate your favorable consideration of Sun Country's 

appUcation. 

Sincerely, 

Reverend Dennis Dease 

President 

SI. Piul, MinoesoM 

Minne-iipolii, Hinnnoii 

Owiconna, Minneiota 

An Equal 0;»pominii)i/AHirnMtpv( Acnon Emptoyfr Romf, ItjJy