# o ::^;ATiO:' ; U^D«partin«n t o f Assistan t Secretar y120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , S E Trtinfportatkj n , . . .- , r j '^?^\>i^^on . D C 2059 0 Offic e o f Th

e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n OC T2 5 201 0 Mr . Joh n Truscott Presiden t Th e Joh n Truscott

Grou p 12 4 W . Allegan Street , Suit e 80 2 Lansing , M I 4893 3 Dea r Mr . Truscott : Than k you fo r you r lette r of Octobe r 8 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g Su n Country 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 askedtha 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 to reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s that

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 City service . Thes e slo t exemption s may 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 datotal of fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansin g wit h129

- 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 , with99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City 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 For t Myer s 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 dtha t I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

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

wil l full y conside r

all of 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 . Joh n Truscott

Pag e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dm y respon.s e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor dof

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 further informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . cerel y you r

lusan L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s.Sl()-H)I()lS-(i7 2

Oct . 8 201 0

Th e Honorabl e Raymon dLLaHoo d -^—

—Secretar y o f Transportatio n "^ ^ U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n J°" N 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave . SE TRUSCOT T Washington , D.C . 2059 0 GROU P RE : Su n Countr y Airline s Applicatio n - #DOT-OST-2000-718 2

Dea r Secretar y LaHood : 1 amwritin g i n suppor t

of th e applicatio n b y Sun Country Airline s reference d above . A s astat e capital , non-sto p ai r servic e t o Washington , D.C , i s i n hig hdeman d i n th e Greate r

Lansin g region . A s afrequen t busines s travele r

t o th e nation' s capital , m y employee s an dI ar e force dt o eithe r driv e 1. 5 hour s t o anothe r airpor t o r hav e a n extende dlayove r i n an airpor t

i n orde r t o trave l t o Washington . Lansin g traveler s hav e repeatedl y show n thei r desir e for

nonsto p trave l t o Washingto n whe n tha t

optio n ha s bee n available . However , becaus e of airlin e bankruptcie s an dnationwid e restructuring , ou r marke t ha s bee n lef

t underserve db y ai r

carrier s an dwithou t

nonsto p servic e t o Washington . Sun Country' s propose dne w servic e woul dfil l thi s voi di n airlin e servic e i n Lansin g an dinjec t

much-neede dcompetitio n int o ou r ai r trave l market . Th e additio n of

new , nonsto p servic e t o Washington , D.C , als o wil l sav e m y busines s unnecessar y cost s b y reducin g trave l tim e t o thi s importan t destination . Thi s i s a n importan t consideratio n for

man y businesse s i n ou r community , an dwoul db e ane w too l for economi c developmen t

i n ou r region . 1 loo k forwar dt o bein g abl e t o us e thi s servic e fo r m y frequen t

trip s t o Washington , D. C You

r approva l o

f Sun Country' s applicatio n i s greatl y appreciated . I Sincerely , J . John Truscot t Presiden t 12 4 W . Allega n Strrc t Suiir 802 * I.inting , M

l 4X91 1 S 17.485,840 4 PHONE • SI 7 48S.797 t FA X www . truKot t

gr o up . co m