# EATO N COUNT Y BOAR D O FCOMMISSIONER S

MEMHRk S

• Michae l llosc y Blak e Mulde r Su e HolTinat i Larr y Brunett e "' ' '. Jiti i Osicczonck ' Joh n Bole s • Glen n Frectna n M l MRMUEIt S Josep h Brchlc r Roye rEaki n Wiiyrie Kidg e ' ; Dalc'Barr , •

• •Jereniy'Wliitiun i Be n Colcsloc k

104 5 Independenc e Blvd,CharloUe , M l 48SI 3 •

Joh n Forell , Chairperso n ' • - - ^Dary l Baker , Vic e Chairperson . • •

. . f , j„ . . . Docke t Managemen t

Facilit y U.S . Depailmcn t

ofTransportatio n ' ' • ' 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e SE. , Wes t Buildin g Groun dFloor , Roo mWI2-'I40 , Washington , D C 2059 0 (' . FebKiary''l0,'2m2 ' '^" ' 'l''''^^^'

- '•' ' '•^-'<-•••'••'•-•'- • ••-• • ^:- ' ^'-i

- -'; • '/T-:^: ^

C D '^y}^

•'— I Ref : Su n Countr y Slo t Exemptio n - Docke t

Numbe r

FAA-2012-008 9 Ladie s an dGentlemen : Su n Countr y Airline s ha s requeste dan exemptio n Iron i th e slo t limi t to r Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA ) se t

fort h i n § 93.123(a) . t o permi t th e FA A t o creat e ai r carrie r slot s durin g certai n limite dhour s for Su n Country' s use . Th e propose dai r carrie r slot s woul dreplac e tw o slo t

exemption s unde r

DO T Orde r

2010-12-1 6 awarde dt o Su n Country . O n January'6 , 2012 , th e Unite dState s Cour t o f Appeal s for

th e Distric t

o f Columbi aCircui t

vacate d th e DO T Order , an dSu n Countr y wil l los e it s existin g servic e betwee n DC A an dLansing' s Capita l Region-Airport . Specifically , Su n Countr y desire s on e dail y slo t durin g eac h o f

th e 100 0 an dI 10 0 hours . Th e propose dexemptio n woul dpermi t Su n Countr y t o continu e operatin g it s existin g service s an davoi dan inequitabl e resul t ofth e Court' s order . Th e introductio n o f

Su n Countr y Airline s servic e o n th e LAN-DC A rout e ha s bee n extremel y bcnetlcia l t o th e consumer s i n tha t market . Accordin g t o DO T dat afor th e thir dquarte r

o f 20 1 I , th e averag e far e o n tha t rout e has , decrease db y 26 % yea r ove r year , an dth e numbe r dail y passenger s o n (h e rout e ha s rise n b y 156% . Su n Countr y ha s prove n tha t ane w entran t

carrie r a t DC A ca n successfull y compete , eve n wit h thi s ver y limite dslo t availability , an deve n i n ane w entran t market , i n additio n t o th e competitiv e benefit s enjoye db y consumer s i n th e Lansin g metropolita n area, ' th e servic e ha s provide dadditiona l benefi t t o consumer s i

n Minneapolis-Sl . Paul . Th e LAN-DC A servic e connect s with dail y servic e i n th e LAN-MS P market,-pi^ovidin g citizen s o f

Minneapolis-St . Pau l with alo w fare alternativ e t o th e non-sto p servic e provide dt o pC A b y Delt aAi r

Lines . ..'.". " ' . :

### Withou t

th e exemption , Sun Country will b e forcedto terminat e servic e betwee n LA N andDCA . Lansin g will n o longer

hav e direc t

ai r acces s to DCA , andthos e passenger s wh o us e Sun Country currentl y offer s schedule dservic e fo r sal e o n th e LAN-DCA-LA N route onl y throug h th e endo f

April , du e to th e Republi c Airlines . Inc . decision , andpendin g adecisio n b y th e FA A o n thi s Applicatio n fo

r Exemption . Summer

seaso n sale s i

n th e market

ar e largel y dependen t

o n availabl e fo

r sal e a s soo n a s possible . Further delay , i n th e ability to offe

r th e market

fo r sal e wil l resul t i n significan t

negativ e financia

l impart , o

n bot h Sun Country ando

n it s customers . Th e Sun Country DC

A servic e i s essentia l t o th e economi c growt h o f th e Greate r

Lansin g Region . Th e dail y servic e i s th e onl y larg e aircraf t (737-800 ) servic e to Washingto n Reaga n Airport , i n th e stat e o f

Michigan outsid e o f

Detroit . Prio r

t o Sun Country , th e regional community ha

drequeste dth e introductio n o f thi s servic e fro

mnumerou s othe r

airlin e operator s withou t success . Accordingly , i t i s critical tha

t the FA A take th e necessary step s to ensur e th e continuatio n o f

th e Sun Countr

y slot s a t th e establishe dfligh

t time s i n suppor t o f Greate r Lansing' s busines s andeconomi c growth . You r immediat e approval o f

thi s exemption , s o tha

t Sun Country ca

n begi n to ente r

(light s schedule s fo

r sal e fo r th e balanc e o f

2012 , wil l b e greatl y appreciated . Sincerely , 

# Qa/ii/)( i OcJf^^-

' Dary l Baker

l Chairman Publi c Work s andPlannin g Committe e