## u.s. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation 

### The Honorable Daniel Webster U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515-0908 Dear Congressman Webster: Assistant Secretary April 20, 2012



### Thank you for your letter supporting the application ofSouthwest Airlines for two beyondperimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest's application proposes to serve Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas, with one round trip per day from DCA. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the U.S. Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent carriers a total ofeight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. We received Southwest's application on March 12. Other timely applications were received from AirCanada, 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 and beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Sun 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 ofthe 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 ofyour 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

### Mar
....26. 2012 5:25PM
,.... DANIEL WEBSieh · ,'"' Bm DISTRICT, fLOAIDA

COMMITIEE ON RULES

### INFJ~::~~RJ;:~~M~~E (ONWYI}

March**26~** 2012 The Honorable Susan Kul'land 

# €:ongtt$Siiof

# tbt Wntttl:J i!>tattl) l]oua"t·of**.1\tpres:entaUbe~** 

### -mtnsbingtont llot 20515-0908

Assistant 

### Secretat•y for Aviatlon and International 

### Affairs U.S. Depa1·bnent ofT1'Bnsportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.B. Washlngton, DC 20S90 Re: SouthwestAirlines DCA-AUS Application, Docket DOTMOST·2012·0029 Dear Ms. Kurland: 

### No. 

### 0741 P. 2
WASHII'II.ITONOFFI<:£:1 103D**Lor.~awoATH** Houu OmCI $UILOIHG W...SHINGTON, DC 20515 ' • (202) 22!5:-2178 (2021 22&-0IMIII(fAX)
WINTER GAIIOfN OffiCe: 300 WeeY Pt.ANT STIIfET WtNTER 0AADIN, fL34787 {40'1) 654-470$ (4071 854-681<1 (FAXI

Commercial aviation plays an imp011ant !'Ole in my district, which includes major aviation facilities in and around Orlando International Ailport (MCO). MCO is fortunate tq have a diverse and competitive mix ofairlines, which helps to cxpa11d travel options and keep ticketprices Jow for my constituents. As af\·equent travelerto and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), I have experienced firsthand the impact ofDCNs lackof airline competition. Not surprisingly, DCA has some ofthe highest average airfat·es in the Nation, especially 

### if measured on ap,ermile.basis. The U.S. DepartmentofTranspot·tatlon has an historic oppolitlnlty to increase the level ofcompetition and travel opcions atDCA; As the Nation's largest low-cost tlidine and with aproven, 40-yearhistory offostei'lng competition and stimulating airtravel in the markets it enters. Southwest Airlines (Southwest) is in the bestposition 

### to bring competitive**bene~ts,** including lower average ticketprices, to DCA. f'o1·**~his** reason, I strongly suppmt Southwest's app1ication for fwo**beyond~**perimeter slot exemptions thatwere created through the recently enactedF M Modernization and Reform Act of2012 (P.L. 112-95). Southwest proposes to use these two slot exemptions for daily nonstop service betweenAustin, Texas and DCA using its 

### new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 175 seats. An award oftwo beyond-perimeter slot

### e:xemptions to Southwest, utilizing suchalarge aircraft, would go a long way to expand competition, capacity and service options atDCA. as 

### well as improve ac¢ess and lower ticket pl'ioes for travelers who seekm01·e pohvenient and affot·dable travel options to and from the Nation•s Capital. I ask that you wiiJ give serious consideration to Southwest's proposal for a new route between DCA and AUS 

# @ht

Daniel Webstor Member ofCongress



### K1**~** 

### 120405-003 EMAIL VIA WEOSITE: wtJb•WMuM; 90\' PRINTEDON 1\ECVCLED PAPER

### Mar.-16. 2012 5:24PM No. 0741 P. 

# FAX

Congressman Daniel Webster Serving Florida 1 S 

## B'h CongressionalDistrict

Pages (including cover):.---.::2-==--------------

K1- '120405-003 

### Washington, D.C 1039 Longworth HOB 

### ·Washingtonl D.C. 20515

, Phone: (202) 225-2176 Fax: (202) 225-0999 

### .lfintel· 

### Gat·den. FL 300 West Plant Street

Winter**Garden~** FL Phone: (407) 654-5705

Fax: (407) 654-5814