The Honorable John Hickenlooper Governor ofColorado Denver, CO 80203 Dear Governor Hickenlooper: May01,2012

Thankyou for your letter supporting the application ofFrontier Airlines for two beyondperimeter slotexemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Frontier's application proposesto serve Colorado Springs, Colorado. with oneround trip perday from DCA, with direct service beyond to San Diego, California. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the U.S. Departme.nt oftransportation will be awarding to new entrant orlimited incumbent carriers a total ofeight slot exemptiotls at DCA, which would suppo.rt four daily round trips. We received Frontier's application on March 12. Othertimely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon and one .roundtrip 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 conunent on the merits ofthe points raised in your letter. However,. Ican assure you that aU applications the Department received wUl be given full and fair consideration and will be evaluated againstthe selection criteria specified in the statute. The Department's action on this matter is inistered through a public**docket~** which allows 

### all interested parties the opportunitY: ocomment. Following ourn practice. Iam placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in docket number DOT-20 29. I appreciate your interest in this matter.·OFFlCE OFTHE GOVERNOR 1 36 .$tate Capito! D<ttW€1\ Color\u:lo80203 Pll6ne (303)866-2471 I'ax (30i>l ft66<UloJ;

'(be .Honorable**R~y** LaHood SectemtyofTransportation U.S.DepartmentofTransportation 1200New JerseyAvet1ue, SE W 11Shington,, 0(:205:90 Johnw ..Hkkerdoorrer**CoY~!:O'Qr**

Re:**Appli~atlqn ~tFrontier**  Airlines for Two**Beyond-Peri~~t~r** $lotEx.emptions for Washington 

### Natio.nal....Colorado Springs 

### Nonstop**Servie~** .((locketDOT-OST•lO;t2..0'029)

Deur Secretary LaHood: l write in·strong support ofthe application .ofFrontier Airlines fortwo beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National.Airport. (DCA) to enable. 

### it to provide**low-ti.tre~ tlrsHime~** nonstop servicebetween bCA.and Colorado Springs. Colotado. Spring$ is Colorado's' seeond largest city and the home to some bf 

### ·full U.S. military's largest and most important installations like. Fort Carson (one ofthe largest U.S. Army installations in the world with more 

### than 3(),00.0 assigned personnel); Petets.on Ait Force Base (which is the host installation for U,S. Northern Command. North American Aerospace Defense Command {NQRAD}, 

### U.S. Air Force Space C()mtmmd} and U.S. Army Space CO>mntand), and the 

# u.s. Air Force Academy. Coloradb Springs: is ,also the main gateway·to Colorado''S most;.Visxted tourist/leisure attractions; 

### many defense contractors have operations inthe area; and the 

### U.S. Olympic Committeeishere. These unparalleled commercial. g()v:ernmental, and milit.ury llnks between Col.orado Springs and. theNation's·.Capital generate**e~tensive** travel to and from WashingNm, D.C., and indeed the Washington, O.C. metropolitan area .is, by far, Colorado Springs' largest destination.**Yet~** there js no nonstop service between Colorado Springs and DCA It is a**l~ge.,** underserved, high-fare market which needs and can support nonstop servict; Frontier's proposal wo11ld fill this 

### critical air service void'. Frontier would bring**vt~Uy** needed low

.. fare, fitst-titne, nonstop .service betweenColorado .Springs and DCA. 

### It would also co.rnpete, vigorously**wi't~** the current monoJ?oly nonstop service from Dulles International .and the: bigh-.fi»:e, one-stQp connecting 

### flfghts which Colorado Spdngs·DCA passengers are required to use because ofthe current lack ofn<:mstop service.There are additional benefits fron1 Frontier's proposed service as well, First, Frontier recently established Colorado Springs as a focus city where it is the only low-fare carrier offering daily service. Enabling Frontier to provide nonstop Col<arado Springs-DCA service would. })elp str.engthen Fnmtier's low.

..fare. competitive presence at Colorado Springs. Second, the public benefits of Frontier's proposed**DCA~Colorndo** Springs**~etvice** would reach even farther, by offering same-plane service to San Diego (a neW route for Colorado Springs) and competitive, low-.fare cotmedions via Colorado Springs to Portland, Seattle, Los Angeies, Phoenix, and Denver. Your Departtnent has an unprecedented opportunity in this ptoce.eding to provide. Colorado Springs with first-time ever nonstop service to DCA. Frontier's service would provide the**low~** 

### fare,**high~quality** nonstop service we need. and for which Frontierhas been long recognized. The residents and. businesses ofColorado Springs, as well as the tens ofthousands ofbrave. men and women in the military stationed in the area. deserve this new service. I hope that your Departmet1t wHl 

### seize this opportunity and reduce this glaring 

### service deficiency by awarding two slot e:)l(emptions to Frontier for Washington Nati.onal

- Colorado Springs

- San Diego service. For these reasons;. I urge the Department to award Fr()ntier two beyond"'perimeter slot exemptions for Colorado Springs-DCA service. Sincerely,

JohnHickenlooper Governor