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USDwXNtnwntOf Assistant Secretary ' '• "^ • 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

ThmSportoHo n .. . Waihington, DC 20590 

Office Of the Secretary • • ' ..-^ - i : t-! <i 

of Transportation 

OCT 2 5 2010 

Mr. Elliot Falcione 

Director 

Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau 

P.O. Box 1000 

Bradenton, FL 34206 

Dear Mr. Falcione: 

Thank you for your letter of October 13 to Secretary LaHood supporting AirTran 

Airways, Inc. (AirTran) to serve Sarasota, Florida, in the ongoing slot-exemption 

proceeding at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The Secretary has 

asked that I respond to your letter directly. 

As you know, the U.S. Department of Transportation commenced a proceeding on 

August 30 to reallocate two DCA slot exemptions that are currently being used by 

Republic Airline, Inc. (Republic). Republic has been using these two slot exemptions for 

DCA - Kansas City service. These slot exemptions may be used to serve any medium 

hub or smaller airport within the 1,250-mile perimeter of DCA. 

We have received a total of five proposals, briefly outlined below: 

• Sun Country to serve Lansing, Michigan, with 129- or 162-seat aircraft; 

• Republic Airline, Inc., branded as Frontier Airlines, to continue to serve Kansas 

City, Missouri, with 99-seat regional jet aircraft; 

• Southwest Airlines Co., to serve Kansas City utilizing 137-seat aircraft; 

• US Airways, Inc., to serve Pensacola, Florida, utilizing 76- or 86-seat regional jet 

aircraft, depending on the season; and 

• Air Tran Airways, Inc., to serve either Fort Myers or Sarasota, Florida, utilizing 

either 117- or 137-seat aircraft. 

As the slot exemption proceeding is competitive and is currently under review by the 

Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on the merits of the 

proposals. I assure you, however, that the Department will fully consider all of the 

proposals, and make its award based on the selection criteria detailed in the governing 

statutes. 
Mr. Elliot Falcione 

Pase 2 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and my response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2000-7182 as a contact outside the record of this proceeding. I appreciate 

your interest in obtaining access to the Nation's capital. If I can provide further 

information or assistance, please feel free to call me. 

j ^^^usan L. KurHlnd 

/ / Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
Anna Mana Island 

& Longboat Key 

floriaa's gulf ialands 

AiuJon ilic mainlanJ. Bradenfnn i f LaLawooiJ Ranch 

October 13,2010 

The Horyjroble Ray H. LaHood 

Secnetory of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Docket OST-2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

We are writing to express our support for the application of AirTran Airways Inc. for the two 

available Ronald Reagan Washington NaNoncrt Airport (DCA) wlthin-perimeter slots being 

allocated by the Department in Docket OST-2000-7182 to provide nonstop service from Sarasota 

Bradenton International Airport fSRQ) fo DCA. 

The Sarasota Brodenton area has only one daily nonstop on a regional jet to Washington, DC, 

even though it is the sixth largest destination marlcet from this area. With over 750.000 residents 

and our prime location as a leisure destination for tourists, SRQ can ceflainiy support additional 

sen^ice and it would be a great help to the tourism industry In this region, which suffered a 

significant impact from the BP oil spill. This new service would also mitigate the negative 

economic impact the recession has had on the community and the airport. 

While AirTran also offers an alternative to award the route to Southwest Rondo International 

(RSW), we asic that the slot be awarded to Airtran conditioned on the slot be utilized for SRQ. In 

addition to enhancing competition and lowering fores at Sarasota Bradenton International 

Airport, the proposed service would increase connectivity to destirrations in the Northeast and 

Midwest, critical maricets for our region. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

^)^^AA-^--- ^ <^ 

Bliott Falcior^e 

Director 

EF/mll 

www.annamariaisland* longboatkey.com E 

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