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u s . Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y' . i U l Ln/'.!''•- i 0 120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , SE TranS|$oriatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

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### 2 5 201 0 Mr . Raymon dE . Tadgerson , P E Directo r of Marketin g an dBusines s Developmen t c2a e 72 5 Prudde n Stree t Lansing , M I 4890 6 Dea r Mr . Tadgerson : Than k yo u for you r lette r o f Octobe r 5 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g Su n Countr y Airline s t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , in th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s askedthat I respon dt o you r lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t of Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s that

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 for DCA - 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 n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r of DCA . W e hav e receive datota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country 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 , with99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City 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 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 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 amsur e yo u understan dthat I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

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

wil l fully conside r

al l of th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile din th e governin g statutes .Mr . Raymon dE . Tadgerson , P E

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

mplacin g acop y of

yOurlette r

an d"my . 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 appreciat e you r interes t in obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I can provid e furthe r informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . incerel y yours . I S a n L . Kurlan d l^ssistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

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Lansin g • Gran d Rapid s Gaylord • Escanab a 72 5 Prudde n Stree t Lansing , M l 4890 6 P : 517.371,120 0 F : 517.371.201 3 mfoSc2ae.co m www,c2ae.co m Octobers , 201 0

Th e Honorabl e Raymon dL . LaHoo d Secretar y o f

Transportatio n Unite dState s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Re ; Su n Countr y Airh'ne s Applicatio n - #DOT-OST-2000-718 2 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : C2A Esupport s an drequest s approva l o f th e Su n Countr y Applicatio n note dabove . W e ar e awar e non-sto p servic e fro mLansin g t o Washington , D C i s highl y desire dan di s in grea t demand . Th e servic e woul dreplac e servic e los t afe w year s ag o i n 2005 , a s aresul t o f airlin e bankruptcies . Consequently , Lansin g i s on e o f onl y afe w stat e capital s withou t non sto p servic e t o Washington . Wit hth e man y airlin e merger s an dbankruptcie s in recen t times , Lansin g ha s los t asignifican t numbe r o f flight s whic hha s n o doub t hur t th e mid-Michiga n regio n economically . Informatio n regardin g th e decline s i s availabl e fro mth e Capita l Regio n Airpor t Authority . Withal l du e respect , w e sincerel y reques t you r approva l o f

th e Su n Countr y application . Suc happrova l woul dgreatl y enhanc e th e abilit y o f th e mid-Michiga n regio n t o mov e forwar d in thes e difficul t

economi c time s an dals o fil l th e voi din airlin e servic e fo r th e Lansin g region . Sincerely , C2A E Raymon dE . Tadgerson , Directo r o f Marketin g an dBusines s Developmen t

ARCHITECTUR E ENGINEERIN G PLANNIN G IT' S TH EPEOPL E