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U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### ;v/RTMENTO F i --'M^PORWIO N ;;.:,:: i OPERATION S Assistan t Secretar y b A 10

^ 0 1 sio- l

120 0 Na w Jerae y Avenue , S E Washington , D C 20S9 D

Septembe r 12 , 201 1 Mr . Alexandr

e Cheml a Ms . Lis aWheele

r ALTOU R 127 0 Avenu e o f

th e America s Fifteent h Floor New York , N Y 10020 Dea r Mr . Cheml aan dMs . Wheeler : Than k you fo r you r letters , expressin g suppor

t fo r apropose d agreemen t

b y whic h Delt aAi

r Line s wouldexchang e certaiaslo t interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n National Airpor t fo r certai n US Airway s slo t

interest s at

LaGuardi aAirport . Secretar y LaHoo d ha s aske d tha

t I respon d on hi s behalf . Amon g o&e r points , yo u urg e tha

t th e Departmen

t allo w th e propose d transactio n t o proceed , believin g tha

t aDelt ahu b a t

LaGuardi awoul d resu h i n servic e t o ne w destinations , mor e frequent flights , additional connections , an d increase s i n servic e quality . Yo u als o suppor

t a divestitur e o f slot s t o lo w cos t

carrier s a s par

t o f th e transaction , providin g an additiona l assuranc e tha

t competitio n wil l remai n vibrant i n New York . Th e Department' s actio n o n thi s matter i s bein g administere d throug h apubli c docket , which wil l allo w all intereste dpartie s th e opportunit y t o comment . W

e wil l evaluate al l o f

th e comment s tha t ar e filed, an dthe n tak e appropriate action . Followin g ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g a copy o f you r letter an dthi s respons e i n th e docket . Fo r you r reference , th e docke t

numbe r i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matter i s stil l pendmg , I hop e you understan d that neither th e Secretar

y nor I ca n commen t o n th e merit s o f

th e pomt s raise d i n your

letter . W e appreciat

e your interes t mthi s proceeding .

Sincerely yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistant Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

d Internationa

l Affair sAugust 29,201 1 The Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Ti^nsportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenu e Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : FAA-2010-010 9 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : On behal f o f ALTOUR , I a

mwritin g i n suppor

t o f th e propose d slo t

transactio n between Delt aandU S Airway s an dth e FAA' s decisio n t o grant th e propose d waiver

relatin g to th e transactio n wit

h conditions . On e o f m y responsibilitie s i s t o manag e th e corporat e tiave l fo r ALTOUR . I believ e th e change s tha

t woul doccui " a s aresul t

o f th e transactio n i n Ne w Yor k woul d benefit ALTOU Ran dit s travelers . Base do n m y understandin g o f

th e transaction . Delt aplan s to creat e ahu b a t LaGuardia . Thi s shoul d resul t i n servic e to ne w destinations , mor e fi:equent servic e t o existin g destinations , additiona l connections , and increase s i n servic e quality . I als o understan dtha t Delt ai s replacin g U S Airways ' turbopro p servic e wit h al l je t service . Thi s wil l no t

only improv e th e qualit

y o f servic e bu t

I understan d shoul d als o result i n areductio n i n congestion . I understandtha

t U S Airway s wil l b e exitin g some route s out o f LaGuardi aa s aresxU

t o f transferring slot s t o Delta . Give n th e ne w servic e tha t wil l b e provide d b y Delt aand existin g servic e option s a

t Newar k an d JFK , however , I a

mno t concerne d abou t

an y los s o f competitio n or

tha t th e transactio n wil l allo w Deh at o rais e fai-es . I n addition , I understandtha

t th e transactio n wil l resul t

i n th e divestitur

e o f slot s t o lo w cos t

carriers . Thi s shoul dprovid e a

n additional assuranc e tha

t competitio n wil l remai n vibrant i n New York . Similarly , I understan dDelt aplan s t o scal e dow n som e it s operation s a

t Washington

Reagan . However , th e combinatio n o f U S Akways ' expande d Washingto n service , Delta' s contmuedopei'atio n o f nonsto p sei"vic

e between DCA and it s hub s and th e DCA

LaGuardi aShuttle , existin g sei-vice option s a t Washington-Dulle s an

d BWI , and increase dLCC competitio n mad e possibl e b y th e diveste d slots , resolve s an y concer n w e migh t othenvis e hav e about

los s of servic e in Washington .S I 0- 1 l()^)()h-()2 S

I Recipien t Niiivie j August ;!V , 201 1 ('ay e 2 I urg e th e FA

A to issu e afinal order

consisten t witli it s decisio n t o grant

th e propose d waive r relatin g t o th e transactio n wit h condition s an

d allo w th e ti-ansactio n t o procee d quickly . Sincerely , President ALTOU R

cc : Delt aAi r

Lines , hic .August 29,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Tmnsportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 New Jerse y Avenu e Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : FAA-2010-010 9 Dea r Secretar y LaHood ; On behalf o f ALTOUR , I a

mwritin g i n suppor

t o f th e propose d slo t

tansactio n between Deltaan dU S Airway s an dth e FAA' s decisio n t o grant th e propose d waiver

relatin g to th e transactio n wit

h conditions . On e o f m y responsibilitie s i s t o manag e th e corporat e trave l fo r ALTOUR . I believ e th e change s tha

t woul doccur

a s aresul t

o f th e transactio n i n Ne w Yor k woul d benefit ALTOU Randit s travelers . Base d o n m y understandin g o f

th e transaction . Delt aplan s t o creat e ahub a t LaGuardia . Thi s shoiil d resul t i n servic e t o ne w destinations , mor e frequerit servici s t o existin g destinations , additiona l connections , an d increase s i n servic e quality . I als o imderstan dtha t Delt ai s replacin g U S Airways ' turbopro p servic e wit h al l je t service . Thi s wil l no t

onl y unprov e th e qualit

y o f servic e bu t

I understan d shoul d als o result i n areductio n mcongestion . I understan dtha

t U S Airway s wil l b e exitin g som e route s out

o f LaGuardi aa s aresul t

o f transferring slot s t o Delta . Given th e new servic e tha t wil l b e provide d b y Deltaan d existin g servic e option s a

t Newai k an d JFK , however , I a

mno t concerne d abou t

an y los s o f competitio n o r

tha t th e transactio n wil l allo w Deltat o rais e fares . I n addition , I understandtha

t th e transactio n wil l resul t

i n th e divestitur

e o f slot s t o lo w cos t

carriers . Thi s shoul dprovid e a

n additiona

l assmanc e tha

t competitio n wil l rema

mvibrant i n New York . Similarly , I understan dDelt aplan s t o scal e down som e it s operation s at

Washington

Reagan . However , th e combinatio n o f U S Airways ' expande d Washingto n service . Delta' s continue doperatio n o f nonsto p servic e between DC A an d it s hub s mi

d tlt e DCA

LaGuardi aShuttle , existin g servic e option s a t Washington-Dulle s and BWI , and increase dLC C competitio n mad e possibl e b y th e diveste d slots , resolves any concer n w e migh t othenvis e hav e abou t

los s o f servic e i n Washington .[Rccipicii i NiJiVie j Auyiis t 29 . 201 ! Pag e 2 1 urg e th e FA A t o issu e afinal orde r consisten t

wit h it s decisio n t o gran t th e propose d waive r relatin g t o tli e Uansactio n wit h condition s an d allo w th e ti-ansactio n t o procee d quickly . S^cerely , Lis aWheele r SV P Operation s Easter n Regio n ALTOU R

cc : Delt aAi r

Lines , Inc .