## fa 5 • •PORWiO N ^ ^ ^ . ,,.. - pn-:n,vr,.-y . • ? ULS . Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y- ' - ' - ' ' " ' '''^' ' 'H20 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , S E Trtinsportatlo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y' • 'Vl'2 b P 1 " U \ o f Transportatio n 

## OCT

## 2 5 

## 201 0 Mr . Davi dB . Browe r Assistan t Vic e President , CF O an dControlle r Michiga nStat e Universit y 30 5 Administratio nBuildin g Eas t Lansing , M I 4882 4 Dea r Mr . Brower : Than k yo u for you r lette r of Octobe r 7 t o Secretary LaHoodsupportin g Su nCountry Airline s t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , inth e ongoin g slot-exemptio nproceedin g a t Ronal d Reaga nWashingto nNationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dthat I respon dt o you r lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t of Transportatio ncommence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DCA slo t exemption s that

ar e currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee nusin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma y b e use dt o serv e an y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi nth e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l of fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su nCountry t o serv e Lansin g with129
- 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

h99-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-seat regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o nth e season ; an d • Ai r TranAirways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r Fort Myer s o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117
- o r 137-seat aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio nproceedin 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 dthat I canno t commen t o nth e merit s of

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

wil l fully conside r

al l o f th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do nth e selectio ncriteri adetaile dinth e governin g statutes .

### Mr . Davi dB . Browe r

Pag e 2 A s i s our norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop y of

you r lette r an dm y respons e inDocke 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 nobtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I canprovid e further informatio no r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me .

f \/ySusa nL . Kurlan d / / Assistan t

Secretary for Aviatio nan dInternationa l Affair sS10-101019-01 3



# MICHIGA NSTATE UNIVERSIT Y October? , 201 0

OFFIC E O F TH E CONTROLLE R Michiga n Stat e Universit y 30 5 Administratio n Buildin g

Eat t Lansing , M l 48824-104 6 517/355-5020 FAX : 517/432-526 9 http://ctlr.msu.edu / Th e Honorabl e Raymon d L . LaHoo d

Secretar yo f Transportatio n Unite d State s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Ref : Su n Countr

yAirline s Applicatio n - #DOT-OST-2000-718 2 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : Th e majo rgoa l o f th e Capita l Regio n Internationa l Airport an d th e Mi d Michiga n Busines s Trave l Coalitio n i s t o provid e ai rservic e fro m th e Lansin g are a t o to p destinations . Prio rt o 200 5 an d afte rIndependenc e Ai rleft th e mid-Michiga n area , w e recognize d Washington , D C a s th e to p destinatio n fo rmid-Michiga n businesse s an d have diligentl yworke d t o brin g i n ai rservic e t o suppor t thes e businesse s an d stat e government . Michiga n Stat e University(MSU ) flie s approximatel y160 0 flight s pe ryea r betwee n Lansin g an d Washington , DC . A s th e individua l responsibl e fo roverseein g busines s operations , includin g trave l suppor t fo rMSU , I a m wel l awar e o f th e University' s nee d fo rthi s servic e an d th e degre e t o whic h MS U coul d suppor t suc h service . MS U ha s a governmenta l affairs offic e i n Washington , D C whic h draw s ou t staff fro m ou rEas t Lansin g campu s t o Capito l Hill . MS U ha s stron g tie s t o th e federa l govemmen t an d it s agencie s i n Washington , a s Michiga n Stat e ha s a majo rrol e i n researc h supporte d b yth e federa l government . Fo r example , i n th e fisca l yea r200 9 - 2010 , MS U worke d wit h 1 6 federa l agencie s o n 220 0 federa l project s fo ra tota l o f $29 2 million . I n addition , Michiga n Stat e Universityearne d th e privileg e o f buildin g th e Facilityfo r Rare Isotop e Beam s (FRIB ) o n it s campus . Funde d b yth e Departmen t o f Energ yOffic e o f Science , Offic e o f f^udea rPhysics , thi s stat e o f th e art endeavo ri s drawin g scientist s fro m acros s th e wori d an d suppor t an d interes t fro m Washington , DC . FRI B wil l cos t approximatel y$60 0 millio n t o establis h an d wil l tak e severa l year s t o desig n an d build . Michiga n Stat e University' s cor e missio n i s t o advanc e knowledg e an d transfor m live s throug h th e provisio n o f a n outstandin g educatio n t o it s students , conductin g researc h benefitin g th e world , an d advancin g outreach , engagement , an d economi cdevelopmen t activitie s tha t ar e research-driven , an d lea d t o a bette rqualit yo f lif e fo rindividual s an d communitie s aroun d th e globe . Amajo rcontributin g facto rt o th e accomplishmen t of thi s missio n i s ou rabilityt o acces s an d wori < wit h ou rcountry' s leaders an d th e federa l agencie s supportin g th e framewor k o f ou rcountry . Michiga n Stat e Universityi s on e o f th e to p 1 0 researc h institution s i n th e Unite d States . Su n Country' s ai rservic e fro m Lansin g t o Washington , D C wil l no t onl ysuppor t ou r

MS U i s » n «fflmi«tfv«-«ctiion , «qu*l^ppottunit ytmploytr .Th e Honorabl e Raymon d L . LaHoo d October? , 201 0 Pag e 2
researc h efforts , bu t i t wil l als o boos t Michiga n Stat e University' s endeavor s t o d o s o i n a n efficien t an d effectiv e manner . Further , MS U i s committe d t o th e economi c developmen t o f th e regio n an d th e stat e o f Michigan . Su n Country' s servic e wil l contribut e t o thi s effor t b yaffordin g job s i n th e greate rLansin g are a i n additio n t o providin g non-sto p servic e t o ou rnation' s capital . Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideratio n o f Su n Country' s proposal . Mtohiga n Stat e Universit y i s hopefu l tha t yo u wil l endors e thei rnon-sto p servic e t)etwee n Michigan' s capita l cit y an d ou rnation' s capital . Sincerely , Davi d B . Browe r As t Vic e President , CF O an d Controlle r Chairman , Mi d Michiga n Busines s Trave l Coalitio n c : Lo u Ann a KSimon , Presiden t Steve n Webster , Vic e Presiden t fo rGovernmenta l Affair s