### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590

TheHonorable Brian Bilbray U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Bilbray: A,pril16, 2012

Thankyou for your letter. cosigned by Congressman Bob Filner, supporting the application of Alaska**Airlines~** Inc., for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Ifawardedthese exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego International Airport with one round trip perday from DCA. Underauthority granted,·in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012. the U.S. DepartmentofTransportation will be awarding to new entrantor limitedincumbent carriers atotal ofeight slot exemptious at DCA. which would support four daily round trips. We received Alaska's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland,**Oregon~** onMarch 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, BritishColumbia; 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; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; 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, Ican assure you that all applications the Departmentreceived will be given full and

fair consideration and will be evaluated againstthe selection criteria specified in the statute. Tbe Department's action on this matter is being administered through apublic docket, which allows all interested parties the opportunity ent Following ournormal practice. Iam placing acopy ofyour letter andthis docket number DOT-201 9. A similarresponse has been sent to C. 

# - THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590
Aprill6, 2012 The Honorable Bob Filner U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 DearCongressman Filner: 

### Thankyou for your letter, c.osigned by Congressman Brian Bilbray, supporting the application of Alaska Airlines, lt1c., for two beyond·perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington NationalAirport {DCA). Ifawarded these exemptions, Alaska would serve San Diego Intemational Airport with one roundtrip per day from DCA. Under,authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the US. Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrantor limited incumbent carriers a total Ofeight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support foot daily round tri;ps.**W~ rec~ived**  Alask;:fs application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, on March 12. Othertimely applications were .received from Air Canada, proposing one J:ound trip to Vancouver, British Columbia: Frontier Airlines, one roundtrip 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; Southwest Airlines, o11e round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Counuy Airline.s, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America,. Inc., two roundtrips to San. Francisco. As the matteris still pending, I cannot comment on themerits ofthe paints raised in your letter. However, I can assure you that allapplications the Departmentreceived. will be given. full and fair consideration and will be evaluated againstthe selection criteria specified in the statute, The**D~artment'**s action on this matter is being a allows all interestedparties the opportunity to placing acopy ofyour letter and this respan A similarresponse has been sent to matter. inisteredthrough apublic docket, which ent. Following ournormal practice, I

## am ocketnumber DOT•2012

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## .. 2410.RAYSUAH HOUSE 0PPICE BUILDING WASioiiNGTON, DC 20615

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### 20515-0550 SuBCOMMITTEE ON

DISTRICT OFFICE:**380$TI!IV~NSAVI!.,** 11212 SOLANA BEACH, CA 92075 (858) 350-1150 FAX(858)350-0760

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey A venue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Secretary LaHood: March 27,2012 COMMUNICATION AND TI!CHNOI..OGV SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATION House REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE IMMIGRATION REFORM CAUCUS, CHAIRMAN

Thank you for the opportunity to write in strong support ofAlaska Airlines' application fornonstop service between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). San Diego, with 352,000 annual passengers to Washington DC, is the largest beyondperimeter market without nonstop service to the nation's capital. Alaska Airlines is the only airline to have applied for a nonstop SAN-DCA flight in the Department of Transportation's DCA slot application proceeding. Other carriers have applied for through-plane connecting service necessitating a stopover in the middle ofthe country. We 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 (the only major air carrier not to have declared bankruptcy), award-winning customer service, and consistent operational reliability make Alaska well positioned to provide new nonstop SAN-DCA service. Additionally, we would be remiss ifwe did not mention that Alaska Airlines was the only network airline that passed the tax savings to its customers during the partial shut down ofthe FAA last summer. Thank you once again for the opportunity to write in support ofthe application. It is our hope that full and fair consideration will be given to Alaska Airlines' request. Sincerely,

Brian Bilbray

, MemberofCon



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