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- •.......1. 1 L' ( i , • • 1 ' M i l aS.D«pCNlin«ntO f Assistan t Secretar y" ' 120 0 Ne wJerjo yAvenue , S E TVontportOtto n , ._^ ^ ^ ^ Waihington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f Th e Secretar

y' " ' -' ^ ^ ^ ' ' ^ ^ o f Transportatio n 

### OCT

### 2 5 201 0

Ms . KaihJeen D . Baylis , CEc D Presiden t & CE O Economi c Developmen t

Corporatio n Sarasot aCount y Liv e Oak Corporat e Cente r 260 1 Cattlema n Road , Suit e 20 1 Sarasota , F L3423 2 Dea r Ms . Baylis : Thank yo u for you r lette r o f Octobe r 6 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g AirTran Airways , Inc . (AirTran ) t o serv e Sarasota , Florida , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReagan Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y 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 ncommence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s that

ar e currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee nusin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma y 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 , wit h129 - 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-seat 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. , to 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 Tran Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r For t Myers o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g either 117 - o r 137-seat aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e undi 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 . 1 assur e you , however , that th e Departmen t

wil l fully conside r

all of th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile din th e governin g statutes .Ms . Kathlee n D . Baylis , CEc D

Pag e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dmy lespons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

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 feel fre e t o cal l me .

Av^Susa nL . KurJan d I f Assistan t

Secretar y fo

r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sECONOMI C DEVELOPMEN TCoRPoRAno N 

### SARASOTA COUNT Y Liv e Oii W (lorptir.ui. - IA'IUI T2(->ll l L .utli-inci i Ko.u l Smii ' 2( H S.II-.INO[.I . I lond. t .i42,^ 2

October* , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e RayH . LaHoo d Secretaryo f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S.E . Washington , DC 2059 0 tit . Docke t O5T-2000-718 2 Dea rSecretaryLaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou rsuppor l fo rth e appllcotio n o f AirTro n Airway s Inc . fo rth e tw o availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t [OCA ] within-perimete rslots 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 Intemationo l Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Sarosot a Bradento n are a ha s onl yon e doil 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 marke 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 certainl ysuppor t additiona l servic e an d i t woul d b e o grea t hel p t o th e touris m industryi n thi s region , whic h suffere d a significan t Impac t fro m th e B P oi l spill . This ne wservic e woul d als o mitfgot 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 Florid a Internationa l (RSW) , w e as k

tha t th e slo t b e owarde 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 fare s a t Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airport , th e propose d servic e woul d increas e connectivit yt o destination s i n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critica l market s fo rou rregion . Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideration . Sincerely , Kathlee n D . Baylis , CEc D Presiden t an d CE O T/; e t-niiitdet s AI'P I !iJiui,.\tl'irnc\i! ^ i n/,iii,-l-,r i .} t i .li e * .\n f C.n,(ip . Iiu : • lliul\i'i.l'- - \'ii"H)<-li i r(.•.-rt/ . • ('.\sli i l.)liftyh - /'I'l/n'jJic s i :„Uiif H Hj'ih- TRi-.'i.iaili.i l Hr.t l i:<l.!ti : hi, . * < •••)-'> n fU-'J - c - t,-<t><t > licf' i • (.nl l ( ".i^ r( ..lumuiii n h;i<uhn« n <, f Voiu t RUM\ X I'lolHTtif f • \ir.),(J M Afiii . o f Kc.iff.ir yiirsnii-niu l .iHi i i •.mnu-'iij l • Sd-m-.-.Ui-M.iiKiIi V l<.in.f \ hn : * Swilrn AKjn k • Vi-rrj.i i • \U^l.'".•^

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