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ULS.DMXirtnMntO f Assisran t Secretar y 120 0 N« w Jerse yAvenue , S

E Ttamportatlo n Woshington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar y o f Transportatio n 

### DE C 

### 0 3 201 0

Mr . Georg e E . Ross , Ph.D . Presiden t Centra l Michiga n Universit y Offic e o f th e Presiden t WarrinerHal l 10 6 Moun t Pleasant , M N 4885 9 Dear Mr . Ross : Than k yo u for you r lette r of Novembe r

1 7 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g Su n Country Airline s t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , with continuin g servic e t o Minneapolis/St . Paul , Minnesota , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport

(DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s aske dthat 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 hel db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic ) a s aresul t o f it s acquisitio n o f

Midwes t Airlines . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for

DCA - Kansa s Cit y 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 perimete r

o f DCA . W e hav e receivedatota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Countr y t o serv e Lansin g continuin g ont o Mirmeapolis/St . Pau l wit h 129

- o r 162-seat aircraft ; e Republic , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , wit

h 99-seat regiona l je t

aircraft ; e Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s Cit y utilizin g 137-seat 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 For t Myers 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 you understan dthat I carmo 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 fully conside r

al l o f th eMr . Georg e E . Ross , Ph.D .

Pag e 2 proposals , andmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes . A s i s ou r norma l practice , I amplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dmy 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 can provid e further informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l fre e 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.SlO-lOt122-00 9

Offic e o f th e President Novembe r 17,201 0

Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretat y o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : I a mwritin g i n suppor

t o f Sun Countr

y Airline' s recent

applicatio n fo

r a n availabl e landin g an dtakeof

f slo t a t Reaga n Nationa l Airport . The applicatio n i s fo r aflight betwee n Minneapolis , MN an dWashington , D.C , vi aLansing , Michigan . Centra l Michiga n Universit

y support s Sun Country' s applicatio n becaus e i t woul dexpand airlin e competitio n i n alimite dmarket (Lansing , MI) , an

di t woul dals o boos t

far e competitio n fo

r traveler s i n Minnesota , Michigan , an dWashington , D.C . I n additio n t o th e obviou s benefit s t o our region' s travelers , i t

woul dals o provide a

n immediat e economi c benefit

t o our region . Th e Lansin g regio n i s hom e t o numerou s non-profit organizations , businesses , universities , andstate employee s wh o trave l regularl y t o Washington , D.C . to conduc t business . Th e Lansin g regio n i s als o a destinatio n point

fo r federa l agenc y personnel , U.S . an dinternational researchers , an d busines s entrepreneurs . A direc t fligh t fromLansin g to D.C . will continu e to suppor t the economi c developmen

t o f our region . I appreciat

e your consideratio n o f

Su n Countr y Airline' s applicatio n andhop e th e Departmen

t o f Transportatio n will approv e th e application . Sincerely , Georg e ^Ross , Ph.D . Presiden t cc : Senator

Car l Levin cc : Senator

Debbi e Stabeno w

HHON E (989 ) 774-Jli l • KA X 1989 ) 774-3Lib 5 WARRlNEBHALLtO b • CENTRA L MICHIGA N UNIVHRSirt - MOUN T PLEASANT . MfChlGA N 4B9S 9