R boT'Osr'7JOOO'%\%t, 

Q '''"^•I'-'llMjrI u s Departmen t Assistant Secretary -')-'r'^fiiiV:}-l:'^ 1200 New Jersey Aven.e, SE 

t ; ^ wepu i "Mcii i ,^., ^^, ^ ^ , Washington. DC 20590 

p of Transportation ' i '. ^. 

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I Office of the Secretary ;'" 7; O 

I' of Transportation - • • i ' M (•" I4L1 

fe December 23 , 2010 

The Honorable Christopher S. Bond 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Bond: 

Thank you for your letters to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood regarding the 

recent slot-exemption proceeding at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). 

Your letters support an award of slot exemptions for service in the Kansas City-DC A 

market. Secretary LaHood has asked me to reply on his behalf. 

As you know, the U.S. Department of Transportation opened 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 airport within the 1,250-mile perimeter of 

DCA. 

We received a total of five proposals, briefly outlined below: 

• Sun Country Airlines, to serve Lansing continuing onto Minneapolis/St. Paul with 

129- or 162-seat aircraft; 

• Republic Airline, Inc., 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 aircrafl. 
The Honorable Christopher S Bond 

Page 2 

As fully explained by Order 2010-12-16, December 10, each proposal had merits; 

however, the Department reallocated the two slot exemptions to Sun Country Airlines to 

serve the DCA-Lansing- Minneapolis/St. Paul market. A copy of the Order may be 

accessed online through the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at 

http://www.reg:ulations.gov/ by doing a search on Order 2010-12-16. Sun Country 

Airlines' service should be initiated on or before April 1, 2011. As is our normal 

practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and my response in the Docket as a contact 

outside the record of this proceeding. I hope this information is helpful. 

Sincerely yours. 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
SKI-101 104-005 

CHRISTOPHER S. BONO 

MISSOURI 

COUMlTTtES. 

APPROPRIATIONS SMALLBUS.NESS HAnM ^tatts ^tnatt 

^7iB?K:*t^SRt«*° WASHINGTON, DC 2051O-2503 

l^fTSLUGEWTE 

October 22, 2010 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

RE: DOT-OST-2000-7182 

E>ear Secretary LaHood: 

It has come to my attention that Southwest Airlines has applied for two slot exemptions 

at the Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) to provide nonstop service to the Kansas City 

International Airport (MCI). This bid will serve as a valued benefit for air passengers within the 

Greater Kansas City region and beyond. 

Maintaining these slots for a DCA-Kansas City flight would provide more connecting 

opportunities to and from numerous small and mid-sized communities, including several 

Essential Air Service routes. In addition, it will preserve and promote healthy levels of 

competition on the route which will work to safeguard flight options and low airfares for 

consumers. 

Southwest Airlines is a strong corporate citizen in Kansas City and has built a 

considerable operation at MCI to which both air travelers and employees are dedicated. It is my 

hope that you give this application full and favorable consideration. 

Sincerely 
SI (MO I! 04-003 

CHRISTOPHER S. BOND 

Miseoun 

COUMITTEfS: 

APPROPRIATIONS sM*aBus,NES3 flnitcd ^tatts Senate 

ENVtRONMENTANO 

PUBLIC WORKS WASHINGTON, DC 20610-2503 

INTELLIGENCE 

October 22,2010 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, 

Washington. D.C. 20590 

RE: DOT-OST-2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

It has come to my attention that Republic Airways has applied for two slot exemptions at 

the Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) to provide nonstop service to the Kansas City 

Internationa] Aiiport (MCI). This bid will serve as a valued benefit for air passengers within the 

Greater Kansas City region and beyond. 

Maintaining these slots for a DCA-Kansas City flight would provide more connecting 

opportunities to and from numerous small and mid-sized communities, including several 

Essential Air Service routes. In addition, it will preserve and promote healthy levels of 

competition on the route which will work to safeguard flight options and low airfares for 

consumers. 

Republic is a strong coiporate citizen in Kansas City and has built a considerable 

operation at MCI to which both air travelers and employees are dedicated. It is my hope that you 

give this application full and favorable consideration. 

Sincerely,