# o I • I- 1 N . v. , I •-•"•. ' ••'•,' , rip- ' • USDwXNtnwntO f Assistan t Secretar y' ' • " ^ • 120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , SE ThmSportoHo n .. . Waihington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O fth e Secretar y• • ' ..- ^ - i : t- ! < i o fTransportatio n 

### OCT

### 2 5 201 0 Mr . Ellio t Falcion e Directo r Bradento n Are aConventio n & Visitor s Bureau P.O . Bo x 100 0 Bradenton , F L3420 6 Dear Mr . Falcione : Thank yo u for you r lette r o f Octobe r 1 3 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g AirTra n Airways , Inc . (AirTran ) t o serv e Sarasota , Florida , in th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a

t Ronal dReagan Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dthat I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s you know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DCA slo t exemption s that

ar e currentl y bein g use dby Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s may b e use dt o serv e an y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , with129 - o r 162-seat aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , with99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City utilizin g 137-seat aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76 - o r 86-seat regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Air Tra n Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r Fort Myer s o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117 - o r 137-sea t aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s currentl y unde r revie w b y th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s of

th e proposals . I assur e you , however , that th e Departmen t

wil l full y conside r

all of th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .Mr . Ellio t Falcion e Pas e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dm y respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 as acontac t outsid e th e recordof

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t in obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I ca n provid e further informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l fre e t o cal l me .

j ^^^usa n L . KurHln

d / / Assistan t

Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

## Ann aMan aIslan d & Longboa t

Ke y floriaa' s gul f

ialand s AiuJo n ili cmainlanJ . Bradenfn n i f LaLawooi J Ranc h Octobe r 13,201 0 Th e Horyjrobl e RayH . LaHoo d Secnetor yo f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : Docke t OST-2000-718 2 Dea rSecretaryLaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou rsuppor t fo rth e applicatio n o f AirTra n Airway s Inc . fo rth e tw o availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n NaNoncr t Airpor t (DCA ) wlthin-perimete rslot s bein g allocate d b yth e Departmen t i n Docke t OST-2000-718 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fro m Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airpor t fSRQ ) f o DCA . Th e Sarasot a Brodento n are a ha s onl yon e dail ynonsto p o n a regiona l je t t o Washington , DC , eve n thoug h i t i s th e sixt h larges t destinatio n marlce t fro m thi s area . Wit h ove r750.00 0 resident s an d ou rprim e locatio n a s a leisur e destinatio n fo rtourists , SR Q ca n ceflaini ysuppor t additiona l sen^ic e an d i t woul d b e a grea t hel p t o th e touris m industr yI n thi s region , whic h suffere d a significan t impac t fro m th e BP oi l spill . Thi s ne wservic e woul d als o mitigat e th e negativ e economi cimpac t th e recessio n ha s ha d o n th e communit yan d th e airport . Whil e AirTra n als o offer s a n alternativ e t o awar d th e rout e t o Southwes t Rond o Internationa l (RSW) , w e asi ctha t th e slo t b e awarde d t o Airtra n conditione d o n th e slo t b e utilize d fo rSRQ . I n additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an d lowerin g fore s a t Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airport , th e propose d servic e woul d increas e connectivit yt o destirration s i n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critica l maricet s fo rou rregion . Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideration . Sincerely , 

# ^)^^AA-^--- ^

< ^ Bliot t Falcior^e Directo r EF/ml l

www.annamariaisland * longboatkey.co m E



## mmmmmmmmmmmmmm d BMDENTONME AIsUnMtaaa l Offio M CONVEHTIO N » VISTTOR S BUUA U * " Omc * o t Atonat M County . FtatUiM . Gtmmmen t UK/GOS H P « +4 4 ( W 20 7 20 2 «61 0 f.<XBmioaO.BmitmO H CwTfWw/HOUCMr>WOSM449t0}S0}15O404 S 941-729-9177,941-729-1S2 0 FA X pwhmDONRECfcuDFW u Gwnwiy/KUJ S MEDI AKRVKC S +4 9 (0 ) S U S9 9 B90 0