U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of TransportaHon 

The Honorable Judith Zaffirini 

Texas State Senate 

P.O. Box 12068 

Austin, TX 78711-2068 

Deat Ms. Zaffirini: 

Assistant Secretary 

April 20, 2012 

1200 New Jersey Ave .. S E 

Washington. DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the award of 

beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to be 

used for nonstop service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas. 

Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation 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 applications proposing to serve AUS from two carriers, Southwest Airlines and 

JetBlue Airways. Each sought two slot exemptions, which would support one daily DCA-AUS 

round trip; JetBlue also applied for two slot exemptions to serve San Juan, Puerto Rico. Other 

timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, 

British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one round trip to San 

Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; Sun 

Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San 

Francisco. 

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

However, I can assure you 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 docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurian 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
2012-03·22 15:24 "-:w' . SEN ZAFFIRINI 475·3738 >> 2023667202 p 1/2 

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Secretary of Transportation 

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This is to express my strong and enthusiastic support for non-stop service between 

the Nation ,s capital from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airpott (DCA) to 

the Texas capital at Austin-Bergstrom International Aitport (AUS). 

Austin is the 14'" largest-and the third fastest~growing-city in the United States, 

with a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population of 1.8 million. This is a 

37 percent increase since 2000. Moreover, this population is projected to reach 

2 million in three years. 

AUS has grown along with the city. Clean, safe, reliable non-stop air transportation 

is vital to Austin's continued growth. The city has been ranked as "America's 

No.1 Boom Town'' by Forbes magazine. It has been named as one of the "Top 10 

American Cities of the Future" by fDi Intelligence. 

Austin's unique blend of easy-going vibe and energetic capitalism has attracted 

residents and visitors from across the country and around the world. While the 

South~by-Southwest (SXSW) and Austin City Limits (ACL) music festivals and 

other entertainment events draw an ever-increasing number of leisure visitors, the 

SXSW Interactive Conference and leading research institutions examine pressing 

issues of technology and public policy that also attract and retain leading figures in 

business and academia. 

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2~12-03-22 15:25 SEN ZAFFIRINI 

Letter to Secretary Ray LaHood 

March 22, 2012 

2of2 

475-3738 >> 2023667202 p 2/2 

Consistent contributions to America's cultural, political, and intellectual life by 

Austin have helped many. Your award of the necessary slots for non-stop A USDCA service will ensure these contributions continue. 

Feel free to contact me for additional information or support. My prayer is that the 

Lord will bless you and inspire you to ~gree with my perspective. 

Very truly yours, 

Judith Zaffirini 

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