# o

U.S . Departmen t o f C'.pljO ? 120 0 New jerse y Ave. , S.E . Transportatio n pmt^lO H Washington . D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y j,3„ h 29 . aoli^EBAiiOK o O f Transportatio n

, J ; - • U J Mr . Le e Mille r President , Mille r

Transporters , Inc . P.O . Bo x 112 3 Jackson , M S 39215-112 3 Dea r Mr . Miller : Thank yo u for you r lette r o f Marc h 6 t o Secretary o f

Transportatio n Ra y LaHood , supportin g th e applicatio n o f

U S Airway s for

tw o within-perimete r

slo t exemption s a t

Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA) . Thes e tw o slo t

exemption s ar e availabl e for reallocatio n under 4 9 U.S.C . § 41718(b ) a s aresul t o f th e retur n o f

tw o suc h exemption s tha t ha dearlie r

bee n grante dfo r servic e t o Jackso n (JAN) . Tw o slo t exemption s woul dsuppor t on e dail y round-tri p fro mDCA . Secretary LaHoo daskedtha t I respon dt o you r

letter . U S Airways ' application , whic h th e Departmen t receive do n Marc h 5 , propose s t o continu e th e servic e t o Jackso n fromDC A wit h on e round-tri p pe r day . Othe r

timel y application s fo

r th e exemption s wer e receive dfromFrontie r Airlines , proposin g servic e t o Louisville , KY , an d Southwes t Airlines , proposin g servic e t o Wil l Roger s Airport i n Oklahom aCity . I n th e interim , th e Departmen t

grante dU S Airway s th e authorit y it neede dt o operat e JAN-DC A servic e unti l suc h tim e a s th e Departmen t complete s th e reallocatio n proceeding . A s th e matte r

i s stil l pending , 1 hop e yo u understan dthat w e canno t

commen t

o n th e merit s o f th e point s raise di n you r

letter . However , I ca n assur e yo u tha t al l application s th e Departmen t receive s wil l b e give n f\il

l an dfai r consideratio n an dwil l b e evaluate dagains t th e selectio n criteri aspecifle db y statute . Th e Department' s actio n o n thi s matte r i s bein g administere dthroug h apubli c docket , whic h allow s al l intereste dparlie s th e opportunit y t o comment . Followin g ou r norma l practice , 1 a m placin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n docke t DOT-2000-7182 . I appreciat e knowin g o f

you r interes t i n thi s matter . Sincerel y yours . 

# fttU^^ . Robert Lettene y Deputy Assistan t

Secretar y for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

## MILLE RTRANSPORTERS , INC . Qualit y Survic e Sinc e 194 2 Marc h 6 , 201 2 Th e Honorable Rayinonc

i H . LaHood Secretar y o f Transportation U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportation 120 0 New Jerse

y Avenue , S E Washington , D

C 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : I a mwriting t

o suppor t th e applicatio n of

U S Aiiway s t o obtain aslo t exemption i

n th e Department s slo t exemption proceeding notice do n Januar y 11,200 7 Docke

t OST-2000-718 2 fo

r th e following reasons :

• Locatedi

n th e cente

r o f th e state , Jackson i s th e laiges t populatio n cente

r i n aregio n stretching 40 0 mile s betwee

n Ne w Orlean s i

n th e soutli , an

dMemphi s t o th e north . • A s tli e stat

e capital , Jackso n ha s th e larges t b y far

- concentratio n o f

federal , state an

dloca l governmen

t agencie s an

doffice s in Mississippi , man y o f whos e employee s regularly trave l t o andfro mWashington , DC . • The Jackson region' s econom y consist s o f

industrie s le

db y healtlicare , aerospace , communication , energy , education an

dmanufacturing . • Healthcar

e i s alarg e segmen

t of the loca l economy . Jackso n i s hom e t o tli e Universit

y o f Mississippi Medica l Center , Baptis t

Healt h Systems , Methodis t

Rehabilitatio n Hospital , tli e Sonn y Montgomer

y Veteran s Hospital , St . Domini c Catholi c Medica l Cente r an dnumerou s othe

r publi c an

dprivat e healthcar e facilities . • Numerou s institution s o f highe r education ai e locate di

n Jackson , includm

g tli e Universit

y of Mississippi Medica

l Center , Jackson Stat

e University , Belhave

n University , Millsap s College , Mississippi College , Hind s Communit y Colleg e an

dHolme s Communit

y College . • Jackson i s th e stat

e headquarter s fo

r the Mississipp i Nationa

l Guar dan dothe r militar y reserv e units . JA N i s hom e to the Air

Nationa l Guar d172n dAi r Win g an dit s fleet o f C-1 7 carg o aircraft . Numerou s activ e dut y an dreserv e militai y personne

l trave l to an

dfro mWashington , DC regularly . • Th e DCA-JA N Servic e i s th e onl

y nonsto p servic e i n Mississipp i t o eithe

r o f th e tw o airport s whic

h sei-v e Washington , DC . I f

th e DCA-JA

N Servic e i s discontinued , th e entir e state o f Mississipp i woul

d b e witliou t nonstop servic e t o th e nation' s coital . • Th e proceeding unde

r Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 i s essentially about small communit

y acces s to Washington , DC . A s require db y 4 9 U.S.C . Section 41718(b) , the DC A - JA N Servic e i s servic e t o a "small community. " • Denia l of th e U S Airway s Applicatio n woul db e counte

r t o th e cor e purpose s o f

th e Wendel

l H . For d Aviation Investmen

t an dRefor mAct o f the 21s t Centur y an dth e Vision 10

0 - Centur

y o f Aviation Reauthorization Act . • Discontinuanc e o f

th e DC A - JA N Servic e woul

db e amajo

r blow to th e economi c developmen t an d growt h o f th e greate r Jackso n are aan

dthe stat e o f Mississippi . Thi s ne w servic e i s critica

l t o th e futur

e growt h o f th e Jackson aiea . Tlian

k yo u i n advanc e fo

r your suppor t Sincerely . 

## A ? Le e Mille r Presiden t 

### Sl0-1?0315-01 i

P.O . Bo x i !2 5 I Jfickson , Mississipp i 392)3- 1 i2 3 1 Phone: 601/922-833 ! Fnx ; 60i/923-25;-i 9 Specialis t h i 'Ti-aHSponiii

g BuJ k ConiiiKKliut: ; Sinc e !9-i2iwvvw.milicii.ccm i