THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, o~c. 20590 

The Honorable Shelley Berkley 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congresswoman Berkley: 

Aprill6, 2012 

ZC !Z - 8 .A q: 3 5 

Thank you for your letter suppotti~g the application ofMN Airlines, LLC, operating as Sun 

Country Airlines, for beyond-perimeter slot exemptious at Ronald Reagan Washiugton National 

Airport (DCA). Sun Country~s application proposes to serve Las Vegas McCarran International 

Airport with one rotmd trip per day from DCA. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of20 12, the 

U.S. Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA. which would support four daily round trips. 

We received Sun Country's application on March 12. Other timely applications were rec.eived 

frotn Air Canada~ proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, oue 

round trip to San Diego~ California~ and one round trip to Portland, Oregon; Frontier Airlines, 

one round tri.P to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlinesi one 

round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one 

round trip to Austin and beyond to San Diego; and Virgin America, Inc .• two round trips to 

San Francisco, California. 

As tbe matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure yo.u that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 

The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public. dockett which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity tnment. Following our normal practice~ I am 

placing a copy of your letter and tbis respo n docket number DOT 12~0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 
""SHElLEY BERKLEY 

··- · 1st District, Nevada 

405 Canno9 House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

(202) 225-5965 

shellex.berklex@mail.house.gov 

2340 Paseo Del Prado 

Suite D106 

Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 

(702) 220-9823 

QCongress of tbe mniteb ~tates 

~ouse of laepresentatibes 

Wasbington, ~QC 20515-2801 

Fax: (702) 220-9841 

www.house.gov/berklex 

Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: DOT-OST-2012-0029 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

March 19, 2012 

COMMITTEES: 

WAYS AND MEANS 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT REVENUE MEASURES 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SECURITY 

CO-CHAIR, CONGRESSIONAL TAIWAN CAUCUS 

CO-CHAIR, GAMING CAUCUS 

CO-CHAIR, CONGRESSIONAL OSTEOPOROSIS CAUCUS 

Co-CHAIR, CONGRESSIONAL STOP Ot)l CAUCUS 

MN Airlines, LLC dba Sun Country Airlines, recently filed an application for an available 

landing and takeoff slot at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. The potential 

flights flown by Sun Country Airlines would be non-stop daily service between Reagan National 

Airport (DCA) to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS). Sun Country's flight schedule 

would be the only daytime nonstop flights between Washington, DC and Las Vegas and the 

fourth largest DCA O&D market outside of the perimeter. 

With annual revenues of approximately $350 million, Sun Country is a profitable, 

successful company whose service includes charter flights on behalf of the U.S. military 

domestically and internationally. 

Flights to Las Vegas have been steadily increasing since the unprecedented drop we 

experienced in 2008, and Sun Country Airlines is known nationally for its excellent service and 

low fares. Awarding the available takeoff and landing slots to Sun Country would provide an 

immediate competitive benefit for both the Las Vegas, NV and Washington, DC markets 

resulting in a doubling of the existing non-stop service between these airports. In addition, this 

new service would add jobs and expand the number of visitors to each city. 

I support Sun Country's application consistent with relevant rules, regulations, and 

procedures. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you on this matter. 

Sincerely, 

Shelley Berkley 

Member of Congress