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## !Vft. Gregg**S>l{~tor** 

### President& CEO NW t;at\ital 

### 2l0NW 

## 1nit Avenue'**l~ortland,** OR, '272()9



### Dear 

## Mr. Kantor: April**13~** 2012 

### 10: 

### 03**~h~'youfor** 

### yeurJetter 

### to

.. sectetaty 

### of., Transportation Ray 

### LaHood" supporting 

### thea}?pllcadon of 

### Alaska**A.irllnes~.lnc:..for** 

### two**·b~yond•perime~t:** 

### slot**e~emptioJ?.s** 

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### •. Alaska's appli¢1Uionproposesto 

### serve Portland International AJq;art with bne round trip per day 

### ·from: .DCA. Secretary Laftood 

### has**ask~:<.tme** 

### to 

### r.espond to your**le~r.** 

### · Under authority granted 

### in the FAA**Modernl~ation** 

### and Reform Act 

### of20l2, the U .$, Oe,partmen.tOfTransportlWon will 

## he awarding t9 

## neW: entrant or limited in¢\lmberit .catfiersa·t(;1ta! of:eightslOt·.e}{emptionsatDOA,which wonld·.support·fourdailyroundtrips.



### We**receivedb\l~kl!''s** 

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### applications were received Jrom Air**Canada~** 

### proposing one round trip: fQ 

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### trip 

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### .JetBlue Airlines; 

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### to**Austin~** 

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### and**Vi~gi!t Ain~tie~,**  

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### As 

### the**t1'1Att~ris'$tlll p:ending,Tc~ot**  

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### Jetter. However? I 

### can. assute you that·alla}:')plications/theDepartment'received will 

### be Siven'full .and. fair consi(ileratio)l;and will. be. eva}ut;tted againstthe. selection crlteria.spec,ifie$,{ in**~e s~wte:.** **T:h~.Q~p~~ntts** 

### acdonl'ill this matter**i~:beihtl** 

### administered. 

### through a public.**dock~t~** 

## wruolj. allows allinterested parties the 

### opportunity, to**co~J)nlent.** 

### Following qtir**normalpractic~,** 

### l'atn

. 

### placinJ a**~QP¥** 

### ()f 

### your letter 

### and,**tl)i~** 

### te$pJ)nse 

### in 

### d()cket number 

### DOT;.,i() 12-0.029.

l 

### appteei·are·ytlur 

### interest 

### in this. matter: 

### Sincerely yours.

Susan**L~** 

### Kurland Assistant 

### Secretary for Aviation and International AffairsGregg S. Kantor President & CliO Tel: 503.220.2425 Fax: 503.220.2584 Toll Free: 1.800.422.4012 E-mail: gsk@nwnatural.com

March 14, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590

Re: Letter in support of Alaska Airlines' application for POX-DCA; Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0029.

Dear Secretary LaHood:

This letter is in support of the application of Alaska Airlines to provide one daily roundtrip flight between Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Portland International Airport (POX).

We are told that the Portland-Vancouver region is the second largest market to Washington DC, in terms of passengers per day, without nonstop service to DCA. It is the ideal candidate for such service. Nonstop service from Oregon/ southwest Washington is limited to just a single daily flight between POX and Washington Dulles (lAD). With nonstop service from POX to DCA, Oregon/ southwest Washington residents will benefit from enhanced competition and no longer be forced to use less convenient and more time-consuming service to reach our nation's capital.

Alaska Airlines and its regional sister carrier, Horizon Air, have a large hub presence at POX, operating an annual average of more than 640 flights per week to 33 destinations. As a result, Alaska's nonstop flight would also improve service levels to Washington, DC for the Oregon cities of Eugene, Medford and Redmond, in addition to the greater Portland-Vancouver region. Importantly, Alaska has a strong customer service focus, reliable operational performance and financial strength. In sum, we are fortunate to have regular access to the best performing airline in the country. These qualities make Alaska the ideal carrier to provide Oregon/ southwest Washington residents with their first nonstop service to DCA.

I respectfully urge you to grant Alaska Airlines' application to provide POX-DCA service. Thank you for your consideration.

S10-120314-039