# Q U. S Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , S E Thintportat»O n V f ^ rO i:!j 3 Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

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### 201 0 Ms . Denyse Ferguso n Presiden t an dCE O Lansin g Economi c Are aPartnership , Inc . 50 0 E . MichiganAvenue , Suit e 20 2 Lansing , M I 4891 2 Dea r Ms . Ferguson : Thank yo u for you r lette r o f Octobe r 8 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g Su nCountry Airline s t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , i nth e ongoin g slot-exemptio nproceedin g a t Ronal d ReaganWashingto nNationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dthat 1 respon dto you r lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio ncommence 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 nusin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s fo

r DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s may b e use dt o serv e an y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi nth e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datotal o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su nCountry 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 , wit

h99-seat regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City 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 nth e season ; an d • Air TranAirways , 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 nproceedin 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 dthat I canno t commen t

o nth e merit s of

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

wil l full y conside r

all o f th e proposals , andmak e it s awar dbase do nth e selectio ncriteri adetaile di nth e governin g statutes .M.S . Denyse Ferguso n

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

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dm y respons e i

nDocke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

this proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i nobtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I canprovid e further informatio no r

assistance , pleas e feel free t o cal l me . cerel v vour

»usa nL . KurI i Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio nan dInternationa l Affair s5~{)1 } 

# Leaoln c Mi d F Mirhixil " Avijiiir . Sifiit - '.'Oy . 1 jjniij^ . M l 4HHIL ' (.' i 17)702-:i:iH 7 1 h i (f > 17)7(l'J-3.1i« ) r\ x stronger X togethe r>*-»*^.i*apinioTjon.ted.c.>, n Octobe r8,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Raymon d L LaHoo d Secretar yo f Transportatio n Unite d State s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenu e SE Washington , D C 2059 0 Ref : Su n Countr vAirline s Applicatio n - #DOT-OST-2000-718 2 Dea rHonorabl e Raymon d L . LaHood : O n behal f o f Lansin g Economi cAre a Partnershi p {Leap , Inc.) , I wan t t o expres s ou rstron g suppor t o f th e recentl ysubmitte d applicatio n fo rSu n Countr yai rservic e betwee n DC Aan d Lansing , Michigan . TTi( s ( s a ver yimportan t ai rservic e developmen t opportunit yfo rGreate rLansing . Su n County' s propose d route s woul d directl ylin k Washington , O.C . t o Centra l Michiga n - th e sea t o f stat e government , th e thir d larges t metropolita n are a i n th e stat e (exceed s 450,000) , an d a ver ysignifican t economi ccenter . Th e regio n i s als o withi n 9 0 minute s groun d trave l t o 90 % o f th e state' s population . Capita l Regio n Internationa l Airpor t i s designate d a Foreig n Trad e Zon e i n additio n t o passenge rservice , an d I s Centra l Michigan' s onl yU.S . Por t o f Entry , allowin g good s an d passenger s t o clea rcustom s throug h th e airport' s state-of-the-ar t Federa l Inspectio n Station . Thi s tremendou s transportatio n facilit y i s full yequippe d t o accommodat e thi s adde d service . Th e Greate rLansin g regio n boast s a divers e industr ybase . I n additio n t o stat e governmen t a s th e region' s larges t employer^ i t i s als o hom e t o som e o f th e mos t technologicall yadvance d automobil e manufacturin g assemblie s i n th e world , on e o f th e world' s leadin g scientifi ccenter s i n Michiga n Stat e University , th e larges t la wschoo l i n th e country , an d mor e tha n 14,00 0 companie s acros s stron g sector s o f busines s includin g insurance , financia l services , healthcare , informatio n technology , blo-science s an d others . Greate rLansin g i s a growin g region , an d th e additio n o f thi s ai rservic e woul d greatl yenhanc e ou rregio n b yprovide d thi s direc t lin k t o th e nation' s capita l an d it s servic e hu b t o res t o f th e world . Lea p i s please d t o suppor t thi s application . Bes t regards , Denys e Ferguso n Presiden t an d CE O 

# t GREATE R <S » LANSIN G Whtr i I f il l [om« i ia|*iS*r .