The Honorable Donna M. Christensen 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congresswoman Christensen: 

Apri116, 2012 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application of JetBlue Airways for beyond-perimeter 

slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan. Washington National Airport (DCA). JetBlue's application 

proposes to serve Luis Mufioz Marin Airpo.rt, Puerto Rico, with one round trip per day from 

DCA. 

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 ofeight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received JetBlue's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Austin, Texas, on 

March 12. Other timely applications wete 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; Southwest Airlines, 011e round trip to 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 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 bei 

allows an interested parties the opportuni 

placing a copy of your le1:ter and t 

I appreciate your interest in thi 

inistered through a public docket, which 

ment. Following our normal practice, I am 

docket number DOT-201 
~ 'QON~f"~M. CHRISTENSEN 

DELEGATE, VIRGIN ISLANDS 

COMMITIEE ON 

ENERGY AND COMMERCE 

MtMOf:n, SUOCOMMITTEE ON 

0VEfl$1GHT ANO INVt::Sl'IOA fiQNS. 

MEMDtl1, SUBCOMMITT£6 ON 

COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY 

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, 

CONGRESSIONAl BLACK CAUCUS 

MEMBER, CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS FOR 

WOMEN'S ISSUES 

ASSISTANT MINORITY WHIP 

Hon. Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

q[:ongress of tbt 'ijjinittb ~tates 

~ouse of l\epresentatibes 

Uasf)ington; J)C!t. 20515-5501 

March 12, 2012 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

PLEASE RESPOND To: 

WASHINGTON OFfiCE 

1510 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFfiCE BUILDING 

0 WASIIINGTON, DC 20&15 

0 

0 

0 

12021 225-1790 

F4X (202) 225-5517 

DISTRICT OFFICES 

SUNSHINE MAU SPACE 11204-206 

#1 ESTAT£ CANE 

FAEOERIKST£0, VI 00840 

P.O. Box 5980 

C'!lT£0, Sr. CltOIX, VI 00823 

13401 7711-&900 

fAX (3401778-5111 

8000 NIS~V CENTER, SUITE No. 207 

ST. THOMAS, VIRGIN Is LANDI; 00802 

13401774-4408 

·FAX {340}774-8033 

11109 CONTANT•ENtGHEO 

CRUZ 811v, Sr. JOliN 

U.S. ViRGIN ISLANDS 00831 

(340)7711-1212 

I am writing to express strong support for the application of JetBlue Airways for exemption 

slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for non-stop service to Luis 

Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto ·Rico (SJU). 

JetBlue already flies between SJU and Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas (STT) and Henry E. 

Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix (STX) in t~~ U.S. Virgin Islands. It also partners with Cape Air 

for service within the Virgin Islands . . . : : ' f ·, ~... . ~. ;, ... ::_,: .. 

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy of our territory. This industry would be greatly 

enhanced by non-stop service from DCA to SJU connecting with flights to STT and STX. It 

wouid provide a much more direct·and lower fare option for touris.ts as:well·as business 

and government travelers. 

Service between the Washington, DC area and the USVI has decreased over the years and 

fares have risen. Much of the remaining service is through either Thurgood Marshall 

Airport (BWI) or Dulles International Airport (lAD), which are both much more distant 

from the District of Columbia and close-in suburbs. The addition of this first non-stop 

service from DCA would be of great benefit to our economy and all USVI residents and 

visitors. 

I urge you to. award '}etBlue the slots necess·ary to serve the DCA-SJU route on a non-stop 

basis. · ' · · · · 

.. · ... 1 .. ," I ' 

Thank you for your consideration. 

~ . . .. ' .. "' 

S10-'120313-052 rlliNTEO ON RECYCLED PAPSR