### U.I.Departmentof TrQnsporlaflon 

### Offtce**offll~**SecretoiY ofTrOI1SpC!rtoffon



### The HonorableDon Higginson Mayor City ofPoway 

### P.O. Box 

### 189 Poway, CA 92074-0789


### DearMayorHigginson: Ap.ril 11, 2012 "';:: ? t , L 

## 08 1200 Now Jersey Ave,. SE. Washington. DC (l05W



### Thank you for your letter to Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood

.. supporting the application ofAlaska Airlines, Inc., for two beyond

..perimeterslotexemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to serve San Diego International Airport with one .round trip perday from DCA. Secretary LaHood aske£1 that

### Irespond to your letter; Underauthority artmted in the FAA Modernization and Refonn Act

# ot2012, the U.S. 

### Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrant orlimitedincumbent**~iers** 

## atotal of eight slotexemptions at DCA, which wot,tld support four daily round trips. We received Alaska's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, on March 12. Othertimely applieations were received from Air Canada, proposing oneround trip to**Vartcouver~** 

### British Columbia; FrontierAirline$, one round trip to Colorado Sprlnas and 

### beyond

### to San Diego; Jet&lue Aidines, one.round trip to 

### San Juan, Puerto 

### Rico. and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest**Airlines~**

### one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one roundtrip to Las 

### Vegas; and Virgin America, lne., two round trips to San Francisco. · As the .matteris still pending, I 

### cannotcomment on the merits ofthe points raised in your letter, However, Ican assure 

## you that allapplications the Departmentreceived Willbe**~iven**

# run and fait 

### considerationand

### will be 

### evaluated againstthe selection criteria specified in the statute.

### Page

### 2, Higginson
The Department's action on tbis matteris being administered through a public docket, which allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following ournormal practice. I

### am placing 

### acopy ofyour letter

### and this response in docket number 

### DOT

...2012-0029. I 

### appreciate yourinterest in this 

### matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for 

### Aviation and International Affairs'"D<)N HIGGINSON, Mayor JIM CUNNINGIL\M, Deputy Mayor MERRILEE BOYACK, Councilmcmbcr DAVE GROSCH, Coundlmcmber JOHN MUU.IN, Councilmember March 15, 2012 

# CITY OF POWAY

The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Secretary LaHood: With the signing of afull FAA authorization bill in to law (P.L.112-95), sixteen new slot exemptions (eight roundtrip flights) are permitted for beyond-perimeterflying out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Additional beyond-perimeterflights will enhance competition at the airport and provide betterfares and greater value for·the traveling public. San Diego is the largest passenger market to Washington D.C. without nonstop service to Reagan National Airport. The San Diego region also ranks as the largest primary census statistical area without service to the close-in airport serving our nation's capital. In fact, the San Diego region is larger than three regions outside the perimeterwith current nonstop service to DCA. The San Diego region hosts the most active-duty military personnel of any region in the country. As a result of this robust defense presence, the region's defense industries and active-duty staff require nonstop air service to the closest Vl{ashington airport to the Pentagon. An Alaska Airlines nonstop flight between San Diego and Washington Reagan National would also benefit others moving between the two regions including: business, convention and leisuretravelers. San Diego International Airport (SAN) serves more than 16 million people annually nonstop to 50 destinations in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe and soon Japan. Service to Washington Reagan National would fill a conspicuous air service gap and also increase competition in the Dulles and BWI
- San Diego markets. Due to the large amount of passengers in this market that would benefit from a new nonstop flight, Alaska's San Diego application has a profound network and competitive benefit. We fully support Alaska Airlines' application for new nonstop SAN-DCA service. Alaska Airlines' network continues to grow in San Diego with destinations in the continental United States, Hawaii and Mexico. We believe Alaska Airlines' strong financial position and consistent operational reliability make Alaska well positioned to provide new nonstop SAN-DCA service. We respectfully request Alaska Airlines' SAN-DCA application be given full consideration allowed under the law 

### ·:;a

, and look forward to afavorable review of their application. 

### Very truly yours,

City Hall Located at 1.3325 Civic Center Drive Mailing Address: P.O. Box 789, Poway, California 92074-0789 

### www.poway.org