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## i ' I Offic e o

f th e Secretar

y ;' " 7 ; O I ' of Transportatio n - • • i ' M (• " I4L 1 fe Decembe r 23 , 201 0

Th e Honorabl e Christophe r S . Bon d Unite dState s Senat e Washington , D C 2051 0 Dea r Senato r Bond : Than k yo u fo r you r letter s t o Secretar y o f

Transportatio n Ra y LaHoo dregardin g th e recen t slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA) . You r letter s suppor t

a n awar do f

slo t exemption s for

servic e i n th e Kansa s City-D C A market . Secretar y LaHoo dha s aske dm e t o repl y o n hi s behalf . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n opene daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s tha t

ar e currentl y hel db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic ) a s aresul t

o f it s acquisitio n o f

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

exemption s fo

r DCA-Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma

y b e use dt o serv e an y mediu mhu b o r smalle r airport withi n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e receive datota l o f

fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

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

- 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 , wit h 99-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 Tra n Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r Fort Myer s o r

Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117

- o r 137-seat aircrafl .Th e Honorabl e Christophe r S Bon d Pag e 2 A s fully explaine db y Orde r 2010-12-16 , Decembe r

10 , eac h proposa l ha dmerits ; however , th e Departmen t reallocate dth e tw o slo t

exemption s t o Su n Countr y Airline s t o serv e th e DCA-Lansing

- Minneapolis/St . Pau l market . A cop y o f th e Orde r

ma y b e accesse donlin e throug h th e Federa l Docke t Managemen t

Syste m(FDMS ) a

t http://www.reg:ulations.gov / b y doin g asearc h o n Orde r 2010-12-16 . Su n Countr y Airlines ' servic e shouldb e initiate do n o r befor e Apri l 1 , 2011 . A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dm y respons e i n th e Docke t a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s proceeding . I hop e this informatio n i s helpful . Sincerel y yours . Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sSKI-10 1 104-00 5

CHRISTOPHE R S . BON O MISSOUR I COUMlTTtES . APPROPRIATION S 

# SMALLBUS.NES S HAn M ^tatt s ^tnat t ^7iB?K:*t^SRt«* ° WASHINGTON , D C 2051O-250 3 l^fTSLUGEWT

E October 22 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ray LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Department

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , SE , Washington , D.C . 2059 0 RE : DOT-OST-2000-718 2 E>ea r Secretar y LaHood : It ha s com e t o m

y attentio n tha

t Southwes t

Airline s ha s applie dfor

tw o slo t exemption s a t th e Ronal dReaga

n National Airpor

t (DCA ) t o provid e nonsto p servic e t o th e Kansa s Cit y International Airpor

t (MCI) . Thi s bi dwil l serv e a s avalue dbenefi t fo r ai r passenger s withi n th e Greate r Kansa s City regio n an dbeyond . Maintainin g thes e slot s for aDCA-Kansa s Cit

y flight woul dprovid e more connectin g opportunitie s t o an dfromnumerou s smal l an dmid-size dcommunities , includin g several Essential Ai r

Servic e routes . I n addition , i t wil l preserv e an dpromot e health y level s o f competitio n o n th e rout e whic h wil l wor k t o safeguardflight

option s an dlo w airfare s for consumers . Southwes t Airline s i s astron g corporate citize n i n Kansa s City an dha s buil t a considerabl e operatio n a

t MC I t o whic h bot

h air traveler s an demployee s are dedicated . I t i s m y hop e tha t yo u giv e thi s applicatio n ful l an dfavorabl e consideration . Sincerel yS I (M O I ! 04-00 3

CHRISTOPHE R S . BON D

Miseou n COUMITTEfS : APPROPRIATION S 

# sM*aBus,NES 3 flnitc d^tatt s Senat e ENVtRONMENTAN O PUBLI C WORK S WASHINGTON , D C 20610-250 3 INTELLIGENC E Octobe r 22,201 0 The Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Department

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , SE , Washington . D.C . 2059 0 RE : DOT-OST-2000-718 2 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : It ha s com e t o m y attentio n tha t Republi c Airway s ha s applie dfor tw o slo t exemption s a

t th e Ronal dReagan Nationa l Airport (DCA ) t o provid e nonsto p servic e t o th e Kansa s City Internationa ] Aiiport

(MCI) . Thi s bi dwil l serv e a s avalue dbenefi t for ai r passenger s withi n th e Greater Kansa s City regio n an dbeyond . Maintainin g thes e slot s for aDCA-Kansa s City flight woul dprovid e mor e connectin g opportunitie s t o an dfromnumerou s smal l an dmid-size dcommunities , includin g severa l Essential Air

Servic e routes . I n addition , i t wil l preserv e an dpromot e health y level s o f competitio n o n th e rout e whic h wil l wor k t o safeguardflight

option s an dlo w airfare s for consumers . Republi c i s astron g coiporat e citize n i n Kansa s City an dha s buil t aconsiderabl e operatio n a

t MC I t o whic h both ai r

traveler s an demployee s ar e dedicated . I t i s m y hop e tha

t yo u giv e thi s applicatio n full an dfavorabl e consideration . Sincerely ,