U.S.Deportment

of Transportation Office of the Secretory atTransportation Assistant Socretary
January 22, 2013 1200 Now Jersey Avenuo, SE Washington, DC 20590

Dear Mr. Christie: The Honorable Jack Christie, D.C. Houston City Council Member, At Large 5 PO Box 1562 Houston, TX 77251.1526 ~ C' 

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## 0,.,-,-., z-- en Thank you foryour letter to Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supporting the-~pplication ofSouthwest Airlines (Southwest) fortwo 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 per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that [respond toyou on his behalf. We received SouthWest's application on December 5, 2012. Other timely applications were received from JetBlue Ainvays, proposing onc nonstop round trip to Jacksonville International Airport, Florida, and from US Ainvays, 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, Ican assurc you that all applications received by theU.S. Department of Transportation will be given due and careful consideration. The Department's action on this matter is.being administered through apublic docket, which allows all interested parties thc opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, Iam placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in docket number DOT.OST-2000-7182. Iappreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

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### JACK 

## CHRISTIE, 

# D.C. Houston City Council Member, At-Large 5

December 12,2012 The Honorable Ray LaHOOd Secretary ofTransp0l1ation 1200 Ne\v Jersey A\ CI1UC. 5.E. Washington, DC 20590 Rc: Docket No. DOT-OST-2000-71 112 Inthe interest ofpromoting airline competition, afTordableairfares, and greater acCCSS hetween the Nation's Capital and Greater Houston, \respectfullyl'equest Ihe Deplll1menl ofTransporlat;on to approve Southwest Airlines' application for two slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National AiI'port(DCA). Southwest proposes to use these 'slotexemptions to begin daily nonstop service between DCA and Houston Hobby Airport. Today, there is no scheduled air service between Ihetwo airports. Through new competition, lower airfares, and Ihe usc ofa I43-seat aircrali, Southwest's proposed service isprojected to attraettens-of-thousand ofnew passengers and generate millions of dollars of consumer benefits annually inthc DCA-Houston market. Business and leisure travelers stand to benefit ifSouthwest is able to bring low-fare competition to the Houston-DCA market. 1respectfully request that the Department of Transportation approve Southwest Airlines' application fortwo slot exemptions atDCA. Thank you foryour consideration ofthis imponant millter. Sincerely,

Jack Christie, D.C. Houston CilYCouncil Member, At-Large 5 Ce: Graeiela Saenz; Saenz & Burkhardt

Telephone (832)393-3017 • P.O. Box 1562 • Houston, Texas 77251-1562 • 900Bagby, I" Floor .atlargc5@houstonrx.gov