U.S. Department ofTransportation Assistant Secretary 1200 New JerseyAvenue. SE Washington, DC 20590 Office ofthe Secretary ofTronsportation


### Mr. Denis Clive Braham Chairman Emeritus Winstead 1100 JPMorgan Chase Tower 600 Travis Street Houston, TX 77002 DearMr. Braham: January 

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### Thank you for your letterto Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application ofSouthwest Airlines (Southwest) for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to serve Houston's William P. Hobby Airport with one nonstop round trip perday from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to you onhis behalf. We received Southwest's application onDecember 5, 2012. Other timely applications were received from JetBlue Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Jacksonville International Airport, Florida, and from US Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. As the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits ofthe points raised in your letter. However, I can assure you that all applications received by the U.S. Department of Transportation will be given due and careful consideration. The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which allows all interested partiesthe opportunityto comment. Followingour normal practice, I 

### am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in docket number DOT-OST-2000-7182. I appreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

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December 13, 2012 The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC .20590 Re: Docket No. DOT-OST-2000-7182 Dear Secretary LaHood: i100 JPMorganChase Tower 600.Travis Street Houston, Texas 770.02 11.3.650.8400 omcr 713.650.2400 fAX wlnstead.com

I write in strong support of Southwest Airlines' (Southwest's) application to begin daily nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Houston Hobby Airport (Hobby). Southwest has been an important part ofthe Greater Houston communityfor over 40 years. .Southwestcontinues to grow in Houston, and now operates over 140 daily departures at Hobby to overthree dozen cities throughout the United States. DCA is one ofthe few major airports not served directly by Southwestfrom Hobby. In fact, no airline flies directly between DCA and Hobby. It is long overdue for Houston's downtown airport and Washington, DC's downtown airport to be linked with daily nonstop air service. Through new**DCA~Houston** service, Southwest proposes to attracttens-ofthousand of new passengers and generate millions ofdollars of consumer benefits annually in the DCA-Houston market. For these reasons, I respectfully ask the Department ofTransportation to approve Southwest's application. As one ofthe largest and fastest growing cities in the United States, Greater Houston is deserving of more affordable and frequent access to/from**t~e** Nation's Capital. Thank you for your consideration ofthis request.



### S10-121227-012 Oenis Clive Braham Chairman Emeritus

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