U.S. Department ofTransportation Office ofthe Secretary ofTransportation 

### The Honorable Dawnna Dukes State ofTexas House ofRepresentatives P.O. Box 2910 Austin, Texas 78768-2910 DearRepresentative Dukes: Assistant Secretary April 20, 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE Washington; DC 20590



### Thankyou foryour letterto 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. Underauthority 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, SouthwestAirlines and JetBlue Airways. Each sought two slotexemptions, which would support one daily DCA-AUS round trip; JetBlue also applied for two slotexemptions to serve SanJuan, Puerto Rico. Other timely applications were received from AirCanada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, BritishColumbia; 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, Icannot comment on the merits ofthe points raised in your letter. However, Ican assure you that all applications the Departmentreceived will be givenfull and fair consideration and will be evaluated againstthe selection criteria specified in the statute. The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which allows all interestedparties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, Iam placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in docket numberDOT-2012-0029. Iappreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

usan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

# (})awnna (])uk_gs HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

P.O. Box 2910 Austin, Texas 78766-2910 (512) 463-0506 March 19,2012

TheHonorable Ray LaHood SecretaryofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 DearMr. Secretary LaHood: As a State Representative representing Austin and Northeast Travis County, I wholeheartedly support nonstop service between the Nation's capital from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to the Texas capital at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Austin isthe 14thlargest- and thethird fastest-growingcity in the United States with an MSA population of 1.8 million. This is a thirty-seven percent increase since 2000. Moreover, this population is projected to reach 2 million in justthree years. AUS has grownright along with the city. Clean, safe, reliable nonstop air transportation is vital to Austin's continued growth. Austin 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 SXSW and ACL musical 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 inbusiness and academia. Consistent conttibutions to America's cultural, political, and intellectual life by Austin havehelped many. Your award ofthe necessary slots for nonstop AUS-DCA service will ensure these contributions continue. Thank you for your consideration ofAustin during this process. Please contact me ifI may provide any further assistance to you during this process. Sincerely,



### a ukes StateRepresentative; District 46

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