• ^

U.S.Depcirtmen 1 o f Transporlotio n Offic e o f Hi e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Assisian i Sccrelar y Octobe r 15 , 201 0 ; 20 0 New Jerse y Av e S E . •.'hashingion . D C 2059 0

Ml' . Ti mDama n Presiden t & CE O Lansin g Regiona l Chambe r 50 0 E . Michiga n Avenue , Suit e 20 0 Lansing . M I 4891 2 Dea r Mr . Daman : c r

C D Than k yo u fo r you r lette r o f Octobe r 6 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g Su n Countr y Airhne 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 Nationa l Airpor t (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s aske dtha t I respon dt o you r lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t 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

ar e currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s fo r DC A - Kansa s Cit y 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 airpor t withi n th e 1.250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Countr y t o serv e Lansin g wit h 129

- o r 162-sea t 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 Cit y utilisin g 137-sea t 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 For t Myer s o r

Sarasota . Florida , utilizin g eithe 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 I camio t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

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

wil l full y conside r

al l o f th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statute.'^ .Ml' . Ti m Diiuioi i

Pas e 2 

### A s i s our 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 recordof

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e your interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I ca n provid e further informatio n or

assistance , pleas e fee

l free t o cal l me .

inaprel y yours , lusa n L . Kurlan Assistan t Secretary fo

r AHatio n an dInternationa l Affair s^ SI0-I()I()()7-(I2( ) 

### LA N SIN G REGIO N ALC H AMBE R Wednesday , October

06 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Raymon

dL . LaHood Secretar y o f Transportatio n UnitedStale s Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue S E Washington , DC 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : O n behalf o f th e Lansing Regiona

l Chambe r of Commerc e I woul dlik

e loonerou r suppor t an dreques t approva l o f th e Su n Countr y Applicatio n #DOT-OST-2000-7182 . Washington D C i s the to

p travel destinatio n fro

mLansing , MI . Thi s servic e would replac e the successful Independenc e Ai r servic e tha

i wa s los t i n 200 5 du e t

o airlin e bankruptcies . Sinc e thi s time , Lansing ha s remaine don e o f the fe w stat e capital s without non-stop servic e to ou

r nation' s capital . Th e Greate r Lansin g region ha s apopulatio n o f ove r 450,00 0 an

di s locate dwithin 9 0 mile s of 90 % of the state' s population . Capita l Region Internationa

l Airpor t ha s effectivel y implemente da

n airlin e developmen

t strateg y tha

t include s th e designatio n o f Por t Lansing , Federa

l Inspectio n Station an

dForeign Trad e Zone . Thes e recent development s hav e bee

n instrumenta

l i n establishin g ane w partnershi p wit h Su n Countr y Airline s tha

t include s direc t

servic e fro

mLansing t

o La s Vegas , Orlando , Ft . Meyers , Cancu n an dJamaica . Additiona

l servic e to Washington D C will fil l avoi di n airlin e trave l fo r MidMichigan . You r approva l o f the Su n Countr y slo t applicatio n i s greatly appreciated . Than k yo u fo r the consideration . 

# J Sincerely , i mDama n Presiden t & CEO

50 0 £ . nichiga n Avenue , Suit e 20 0 Laming . MM891 2 p 517.487.434 0 f 517.484.691 0 wvvw.lansingchamber.or g