-.
THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye United States Senate WaShington, DC 20510 Dear Senator lnouye: April 16,2012 ,, I J fi, ... iJ
(

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your congressional colleagues, supporting the application ofAlaska Airlines. Inc., for two beyond-perimeterslot exemptions at Ronald Reagan WashingtonNational Airport (DCA). Ifawarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego International Airport with one round trip per day from DCA, with direct service. beyondto Honolulu. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Actof20**12~** the**U~S.** Department ofTransportation will beawarding to new entrant orlimitedincumbent carriers a total ofeight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

### We received Alaska's application, which also proposes. one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, 

### on March 12. Othertimely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip

### to Vancouver, British Columbia; FrontierAirlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round tripto Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San Francisco, As thematter is still pending, I cMnot oomment on the merits ofthe points raised inyeur letter. Hewever, I can assure you that all applications the Departmentreceived will be given full and fair consideration and will be evaluated**ag~inst**the sel.ectiGn criteria specified in the statute. The Department's action onthis matter is being administered through apublic docket, which aUows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following**ournorm~l pr~ctic.e,**  

### hun placing a copy ofyourletter and this reswnse ocket.ntJ.mber DOT.,2012-0029. Asimilar response has been sent to matter.THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590

The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear SenatorAkaka: April 16, 2012

Thanlc: you for your letter, cosigned by yourcongre,ssional colleagues, supporting the application ofAlaska Airlines, Inc., fortwo beyond-perimeter stet exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Ifawarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego International Airport with one. round trip per day from DCA,·with direct service beyond to Honolulu. Under authority granted in the FAA ModemiVJ.tion 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**Alaska~**s applicatlou, which also propos:es one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, on March 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip to San Juan, Puerto Ri:co, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one romld trip to Austill and San Diego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San Francisco. As the matteris still pending, I cannot comment on the merits ofthe points raised in your letter. However, Ican assure youthat aU 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 opportun.ity to comn'lent Following our normal**practice~** I an1 placing a copy ofyour letter and this se in docket nwnberDOT-20 12-0029. Asimilarresponse has been sentto matter.THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORtATION WASHINGTON. D.C. 20590

The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congresswoman Hirono: April 16, 2012

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your congressional colleagues. supporting the application ofAlaska Airlines, Inc., for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Ifawarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego httemational Airport with oneround trip per day from DCA, with direct service beyond to Honolulu. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the U.S. Department ofTransportation will be awarding tonew entrantor limite.d incumbent carriers atotal ofeight slot exemptions atDCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

### We received Alaska's application, which also proposes one daily round tripto Portland, Oregon, on March 12. Other timely applications**we~;e** received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver. British Columbia; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and l::>eyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip to San**Juan~** Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips t0 San Fl'ancisco. As the matterjs still pending, Icannot comment on the merits ofthe points raised in yo11rletter. However, I can assureyou that all applications the Department received will be·givenfull·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 do.cket,which allows all interested partjes the opportunity to comtnent. Following our**norm~l** practice, Iam placing acopy ofyourletter and this response in doclcetnumber DOT-2012-0029, Asimilarresponse has been sent to matter.THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590



### The Honorable ColleenHanabusa U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congresswoman Hanabusa: April 16,2012

Thankyou for your letter, cosigned by your congressional colleagues, supporting the application ofAlaska Airlines, Inc., for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Ifawarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego International Airport with one roun(:i trip perday from DCA, with direct service beyond to Honolulu. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and ReformActof2012, the U.S. DepartmentofTransportation 

### will be 

### awarding to new entrant orlimited incumbent carriers atotal ofeight slot**e~emptions** 

### atDCA, which would supportfour daily ro.und ttips. 

### Wereceived Alaska's appti'cation, which also proposes one daily round trip to .Portland, Oregon, on March 12. Othertimely applications were received from Air**Canada~** 

### proposing oneround trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; FrontierAirlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; a11d**VirginAm~cat** 

### Inc., two round trips to San 

### Francisco. As the matter is still pending, Icannotcomnrent onthe merits of

### the points raised in your letter. However, I can assure you that all 

### applications the Departmentreceived 

### will be given full and fair consideration Elild 

### will be evaluated againstthe s.election 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 nomud practice,! am placing a copy ofyourletterand this response in docket number DOT

..20 029. A

### similarresponse has beens matter.

yLaHood

## <f!nngress nf fife**1ttnite~** 

## A;tates 1!Jlla.G}fingtnn, 

### ilC!t 20515

TheHonorable Ray LaHood Secretary U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Secretary LaHood: March 27,2012

We write today in support for Alaska Airlines' application to provide daily nonstop service between San Diego (SAN) and Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). As the nation's only island state, Hawaii is uniquely dependent on air travel. Ourresidents rely on airtransportation to travel within Hawaii. We also rely on air travel to transport visitors that are the backbone ofourtourism industry, and to enhance commercial ties with the mainland and abroad. Alaska Airlines plans to originate and terminate the SAN-DCA flight in Honolulu (HNL), Hawaii. This will provide residents ofthe state ofHawaii with a direct connection to our nation's capital, and provide increased capacity for our residents and visitors to travel from Hawaii to the mainland and vice versa. It is ourunderstanding that 352,000 passengers annually travel from San Diego to Washington D.C. Currently, more than 123,000 passengers travel between Honolulu and Washington D.C. using single or double connecting flights. Alaska Airlines' proposal to serve SAN-DCA with a flight originating and terminating inHNL fulfills the significant need for nonstop service in this market. Since first entering the Hawaii market in 2007, Alaska Airlines has steadily grown its west coast-to-Hawaii service and this summer will operate 154 weekly flights. Alaska has clearly made a commitment to serving our state and is well positioned to operate a HNL-SAN-DCA flight. This decision was especially beneficial to residents ofHawaii who have an added distance to travel to their destinations.
We respectfully urge the Department ofTransportation to give Alaska Airlines' application to provide the first nonstop San Diego to Washington D.C. flight all due consideration. Thankyou for your attention to this matter.

Mazie

### K. Hirono Member ofCongress



### S10-120328-013**Sincerely~**

# ···c::J~[~~!

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Daniel K. Akaka Member ofCongress

Colleen

......,,............,.. Member ofCongress