# Q USbDapOrtllMnto f Assistan t Sttcretor y 120 0 New Jerie/AvenM.S E nCBMPOrtaHo n /,,;' : ^ j ; y^flngton , O

C 2059 0 OffloeofmeSecraiar y cKlhsnsportatlo n 

### NO V 

### 1 2 201 0

Th e Honorabl e Victo r

W . Loomis , Jr . Mayo r of Eas t Lansin g 41 0 Abbo t

Road Eas t Lansing , M I 4882 3 Dea r Mayo r Loomis : Than k yo u fo r your lette r o f Octobe r 2 2 t o Secretar

y LaHoo dsupportin g Su n CounU y 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 National Airpor t (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dthat I respon dto yo u directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Department of 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 aresult o f it s acquisitio n o

f Midwes t Airlines . Republi c ha s been 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 airpor t withi n th e 1,250

- mil e perimeter

o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota

l o f five proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Countr

y t o serv e Lansin g continuin g ont o Minneapolis/St . Pau l wit h 129

- or 162-sea t aircraft ; • Republic , brande da s Frontier Airlines , t o 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

- o r 86-seat regiona l je t aurcraft, dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Ai r Tra n Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r For t Myer s o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g cithe r 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 unde r revie w b y th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understan dtha

t [ canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f

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

wil l full y conside r

al l o f th e proposals , an

dmake it s awardbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .Th e Honorabl e Viclo r W . Loomis , Jr . Pag e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g acop y of

your lette r an dm y respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor

do f thi s proceeding . I f

I ca n provid e furthe r informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee

l free t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

# C\T \O l J A s x L . V 

# JNS 1 j \( ; Th e Hom e o f

Michiga n Siat c Universit y October 22 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Raymon dL , LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n Unite dState s Department

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Re ; Su n Countr y Airline s Applicatio n - DOT-OST-20000-718 2 Dea r Seerciar y LaHood ; O n behal f o f th e Cit y o f East Lansing an

dth e Mid-Michigan Region , I a mwritin g i

n suppor t o f Sun Country' s proposal t o ad dtwo , non-sto p flight s per day t o Washington , D.C . fro

m Lansing . Th e complet e routin g woul dinclud e Minneapoli s - Lansin g - Washington , D.C . an d return . I n additio n t

o th e benefit

o f t^v o direc t flight s to D.C . thi s woul dallo w fo r two mor e niglU s to Minneapoli s whic h i s uKs o adesirabl e destinatio n fo r ou r region . Thi s proposal woul drequire landin g slot s a t Washington' s Nationa

l Airjior t (DCA) an

di respectfull y urg e tha

t thes e b e approve db y your department . Our

regio n previousl y lia

d acces s to thi s vital servic e however , i t cease dto exis t

i n 200 5 wit

h th e departur

e o f Independent

Air . Thi s i s aver

y important

prospec t fo r Mid-Micliigan . A s th e Stal e Capital , Lansin g i s hom e t o many successfu l businesses , al l thre e branche s o f stat e government , alon g wit h man y non profit an dinteres t group s tha

t wouldb e well-serve db y th e opportunit y fo r direc t travel t o Washington , D.C . Eas t

Lansin g host s Michiga

n Stal e Universit

y which i s aworld-chis s institutio n renowne dfo

r it s inicmaliona

l outreac h an dthi s .servic e wouldenhanc e it s globa l appeal . There i s n o douh t

tha t i f Su n Country' s proposa

l wa s t o b e approved . Mid-Michiga n would realis e numerou s direc t

economi c an

dcultura l benefits . 1 trul y hop e llia t yo u an dyou r departmen t

will help mak

e thi s areality . I

f yo u hav e an y question s regardin g tlii s letter , pleas e fee l free to contac t

m e directl y a

t 517-8i J 1 -0395 . Sincerely , ^cto r W . Loomis , Jr . Mayo r Cc : Rober

t F . Selig , AA

E Executiv e Directo r