U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Pedro J. Gonzalez 

President Board of Directors 

Assistant Secretary 

April 27, 2012 

Asociati6n de Hospitales de Puerto Rico 

Villa Nevarez Professional Center Suite 101 

San Juan, PR 00907 

Dear Mr. Gonzalez: 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

of JetBlue Airways for beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington 

National Airport (DCA). JetBlue's application proposes to serve Luis Munoz Marin Airport, 

Puerto Rico, with one round trip per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to 

your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received JetBlue's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Austin, Texas, on 

March 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip 

to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one 

round trip to San Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs a.Q.d beyond to San 

Diego; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sunl'Country 

Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San 

Francisco. 

As the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 

The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
The H~bfe Ray LaHOOd 8Eleret$ry .. 

US Department of Tran~poitation 

... 120o~ewJ~~~ Avenue se 

· ,.W.l\\hl:Jtdn ae ;aosto 

Dear Mr .Secretary 

I am writing to you to express support for the appllcartfoo by JetBlue AJnMJys for exemption stot$:at 

Wa~ln;ton, OCY~t'Rc:mald f{e~an Washington National Airport (DCA), fOr non&top s~ice to ~an 

Julln, Puerto. Rico. JetStue'S plan to off&l' daily, roundtrip setViee will preViae our Orpnizatlon 

with the nonstop acces; to the natio.n's capitaUhat we have long sought. 

J&tBJue is Puerto Rieo!s lOw fare,· hometown airline; Since .J&t8Jue's ·firSt ·flight in 20021 their 

nonstop. tar;ej&t Set\fice has expanded in the states from JFK to·B()St~n. Hartford. Newer~ F.ort 

Lauderdale, West Patm Beam. Orfando, Tampa and Jacksonville. They have also expanded to k~ ~~-·tn our region, .Including St Thomas. St Croix. St Maarten and Santo Domingo In tbe Domintcarf~lio. ,J$tBlue afso partners wifh Oape Air for aad'rtton.al regional service connecting llSanJuan. · 

The leVel ·Of Set\fice' from San Juan to Washington has deaeased o"er the ~· and fares have 

risen. The limited nonstop s~ice is to either BWI. or DuUes, quite distant from downtown 

Washington and government officeS~ The addition of thi.s unique nonstop1 a first Of its klndJ would 

be of great benefit to our company and indeed all Puerto Rico resid~nts' and •ttol'S, 

lurgt:l YQti to award .JetSiue the necessary slots to terve DCA on a nonstop basis ftom San Juan, 

Puerto Rteo. , .