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# Q •.•".•RViJtNTO F • -.srORTAT'O^ ; USwOepartmenYO f Assistan t Secr^tgr y „'l ' / n P ] : [J3p 0 Ne w Jene y Avenue , S E I^XimporfOtlo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secferar

y o f Transportatio n NOV 16201 0

Th e Reveren dDenni s Deas e President Universit y of St . Thoma s Mail AQ U 100 211 5 Summi t

Avenu e St , Paul , M

N 55105-107 8 Dea r Mr . Dease : Than k yo u fo r you r letter o f November

3 t o Secretar

y LaHoo dsupportin g Su n Countr y Airline s to serv e Lansing , Michigan , wit h continuin g servic e to Minneapolis/St . Paul , Minnesota , i

n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReagan Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA) . Th e Secretar

y ha s aske dtha

t 1 respon dt o your

lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Department 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 are currentl y hel db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic ) a s aresul t o f it s acquisitio n of

Midwes t Airlines . Republi c ha s been usin g thes e tw o slo t

exemption s fo

r DCA - Kansa s Cit

y service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma

y b e use dto serv e an

y mediumhub or

smaller aiipor t widii n th e 1,250

- mil e perimeter

o f DCA . W e hav e receive datotal o f fiv e proposals , briefly outline dbelow ;

• Su n Countr y t o serv e Lansin g continuin g ont o Mimieapolis/St . Pau l wit h 129

- or 162-sea t aircraft ; • Republic , brande da s Frontier Airlines , to continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , wit

h 99-seat regional je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s Cit y utilizin g 137-sea

t aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76

- or 86-sea t regional 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 either 117

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

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

msur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t comment o n th e merit s of

th e proposals . I assure you , however , tha t th e Department

wil l full y consider

al l o f th eTh e Reveren dDemii s Deas e

Pag e 2 proposals , an

dmak e it s awar dbased-o n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes . - A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop y of

you r lette r an dm y respons e i

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

dof thi s proceeding . I

f 1 ca n provid e fwther informatio n or

assistance , pleas e fee

J fre e to cal

l me . Sincere l

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

dInternational Affair sH UNIVERSIT Y o f ST.THOMA S om«ofth e p«HdMt Mai l AQ U 10 0 2\\ b Sumnii i ^vrnu r St . P»uJ . M N 5M05-I07 8 U.S.A . Telephone ; H651)-962-650 0 Ficjim.ie : H65l)-962-<i5C M Novembe r

3 , 201 0 ww*«ihom«ed u Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f

Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Mr . Secretary , M N Airlines , LL C db aSi mCountr y Airline s recentl y fileda n applicatio n fo r a n availabl e landin g an dtakeof f slo t a t Ronal dReaga n Nationa l Airpor t i n Washington , DC . Th e potentia l flights whic h woul db e flown b y Su n Countr y Airline s woul db e fromMinneapoli s throug h Lansing , Michiga n t o Washington , DC . Sx mCountr y Airline s i s wel l know n i n Minnesot afo r it s excellen t

servic e an dlow

cos t fares . A t

thi s time , Su n Countr y AirUne s canno t fly t o Washingto n Reaga n airpor t becaus e o f

th e slo t constraints . Awardin g o f th e availabl e takeof

f an d landin g slot s t o Su n Countr y woul dprovid e a n immediat e competitiv e far e environmen t

fo r passenger s t o an dfro mMinneapoli s an dLansin g tha t i s missin g today . Th e enhance dWashingto n servic e woul dals o hav e a n immediat e impac t i n tha t mor e job s woul db e create dbot h i n Minnesot aan di n Michiga n t o operat e an d handl e thes e flights . I wo\il dver y muc h appreciat e you r favorabl e consideratio n o f Su n Country' s appUcation . Sincerely , Reveren dDenni s Deas e Presiden t

SI . Piul , Minoeso M Minne-iipolii , Hinnnoi i Owiconna , Minneiot a A n Equa l 0;»pominii)i/AHirnMtpv ( Acno n Emptoyf r Romf, ItjJ y