UL5.D«porrtni«ltO f Assisfan f Secretar y • • ' v t ^^ i '. i it.'r . ; 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E Transportatio n _ ^ Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y • . ''\ i. ; /" : P I * 1 | 2 o f Transportatio n 

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## 201 0 Mr . Mar k Becke r Chairma n Boar do f Director s Sarasot aConventio n & Visitor s Bureau 76 6 Hudso n Avenue , Suit e A Sarasota , FL 3423 6 Dea r Mr . Becker : Than k yo u fo r your lette r o f Octobe r 7 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g AirTra n 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 Airpor t (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s aske dtha t I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s yo u 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

are currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s fo

r 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 airpo n withi n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l of fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Countr y t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , wit h 129

- 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 , with 99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s Cit y utilizin g 137-sea t aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76

- or86-sea t regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Ai r 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-seat 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 dthat I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

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

wil l full y conside r

al l o f 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 . Mark Becke r Pag e 2 A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop y of

you r lette r an dm y respons e i

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

this proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I can provid e furthe r informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . icerel y yours ,

A iusan L . i^irflan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r 'iatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

# SARASOT A A N D HE R ISIANO S CONVENTIO N i VISITOR S BUREA U 76 6 Hv<if} n Al.tnii t

Smt t A Saroiata . fJortd o 3+23 6 1 941.985.099 1 Octobe r 7,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y H . LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 New Jersey Avenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Docke

t OST-2000-718 2 Dea r Secietai y LaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou r

suppor t fo r th e applicatio n o f

AirTran Airy/ay s Inc . fo

r th e tw o availabl e Ronal dReaga

n Washingto n National Airpor t (DCA ) within-perimete r

slot s bein g allocate db y th e Department

i n Docke t

OST-2000-718 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fro mSarasota Bradenton Internationa

l Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e SarasotaBradento n are aha s onl y on e daily nonsto p o n aregional je t t o Washington , DC , even though i

t i s th e sixt h larges t destinatio n marke t

fixjmthi s area . Wit

h over 750,00 0 resident s an dou r prime locatio n a s aleisur e destinatio n fo r tourists , SR Q ca

n certainl y suppor

t additiona l service , an di t woul db e agrea

t help t o th e touris mindustr y i n thi s region , whic h ha s suffereda s aresult o f th e B P oi l spill . Thi s ne w servic e als o woul dmitigate th e negativ e economi c impac t the recessio n ha s hado n th e commimit y an dth e airport . While AirTra

n als o offer s a

n alteftnattve l o awai dth e route t o Southwes t Florid aInternationa

l (RSW) , w e as k

tha t th e slo t b e awarde dt o AirTra

n conditione do n th e slo t

b e utilize dfo

r SRQ . b i additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an dlowerin g fare s a t Sarasot aBradento n Internationa l Airport , th e propose dservic e woul dincreas e connectivit y to destination s i n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critica

l market s fo

r ou r region . Than k yo u fo r your consideration : Sincerely^ ^

Mar k Becke r Chairma n Boar do f Director s

Longboat Kt y • Lido Kt

y Siett aKt t

Cair f K n Vtr.u i Monvol o Kij i • Er^iwoo dMon k Por t