U.S.Department of Transportation Office oftheSecretary ofTransportaHon The Honorable Judith Zaffirini Texas State Senate P.O. Box 12068 Austin, TX 78711-2068 DeatMs. Zaffirini: Assistant Secretary April 20, 2012 1200 New Jersey Ave

.. S E Washington. DC 20590

Thank you for your letter to Secretary ofTransportation 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 of2012, the U.S. Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent carriers atotal ofeight 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; FrontierAirlines, 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 ofthe points raised in your letter. However, Ican 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 apublic docket, which allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, Iam placing acopy ofyour 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

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### The Honorable 

### Ray LaHood 

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Secretary ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 DearMr. Secretary:**QJ.ammitue~** .[.\bminhdrzttion 11tcnttL"lnic .!lJr.flel.apmttd**~bumce ~tt1Ut**  m1.b**~umu:u ~er&ires** **~'tebi5trictittS**



### 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 aMetropolitan 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 ofthe "Top 10 American Cities ofthe Future" by fDi Intelligence. Austin's unique blend ofeasy-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 ofleisure visitors, the 

### SXSW Interactive Conference and leading research institutions examine pressing issues oftechnology and public policy that also attract and retain leading figures in business and academia.

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### 15:25 SEN ZAFFIRINI
Letter to Secretary Ray LaHood March 22, 2012 2of2 

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Consistent contributions to America's cultural, political, and intellectual life by Austin have helped many. Your award ofthe necessary slots for non-stop AUSDCA 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 

### JZ/rm