### ·**U~$.~t:tepartl'jle:i:lt** 

# at ,.,unsf>al1atton Offh:::e of the Se:Otamry 

## ot**tr~sp~ooflon** 

### ·



# Mt. 'Gary 

## V/.**Re~A(;)lds** 

## Perkins&Co 

## 1211 SW FifthAvenue, 

# s,..ne tOOQ Portland,.QR 97204-3110 

## Deat

## Mr.**R:eyn0:l(Js~** 

### April llll 

### 2012 

## !0: 03



# Thank you. for your letter 

## to**Se~retatY** ofTransportation Ray.JJaHO'od,

..

## supporting

## tbe·£lPPiiea~i~' 

## ofAlaska 

## t\id1fies, lnc. for two beyond.-perimeter slot 

## exemptions>atROnald Reagan 

## Washingttl:n Natipnal.Airport (DCA). 

## Alaska's

## appli~ation proposes to serve Portland International Airport 

## With

## ~Dneround tdtlper day 

## from DCA, 

## ·Secretary JJaHood has 

## asked 

## me 

# m respond{(:) your letter. 

## Un.r**~tOothy** 

## grl\Ulte(J in th¢ 

## FAA M6derriizatlon and 

## Reform .Act

## of20l2, the

. .**u.s~ ~Partrneilt** 

## ,ofTranspottation will·.be awarding to 

## new entrant or limited incumbent camers.a total ofelght 

## slpt.exemptions at DCAj·

## which would support 

## tour daily round trips. 

## We.re.ceived Alaska's 

## appHcation, wl1ici1 also· 

## proposes• one daily 

## rountl trip to Sliri 

## Dieg.<l, on 

## March .12. 

## .Other.**~rnelY** appll(:atiQns'were 

## received ftomAir Canada, 

## proposing <>ne 

## r<>und trip tQ.Vau(louver, Britisl;t Columbia;.Frontier Airlines, one 

## round trip, 

## to**Color~do**

## • Springs and bey<:md,toSan DiegtJ; 

## JetBl:ue**Airlin~s,,** 

## one round trip 

## to San Juan, 

## Puerto Rico; and 

## one round trip to 

## Austin. Texas; Southwest**Airlines~,oneround** 

## trip to Austin 

## and SanDiego beyom:l; 

## Sun Country Airlines, 

## one round 

## trip to JJas**Vegas~** 

## and

## Virgin 

## America, Inc.) 

## two round 

## trips to san 

## Francisco. 

## As them'atter 

## is still pending, 

## I cannotcomment9n the,merits 

## pfthe points raised 

## in

## your letter. 

## However,

## l(:an,ass.\lre you t11atall applications 

## tbe Departmenrreceived will 

## be 

## gi.verdUil,and fair .odn'sideration :and.will be evaluated**a~ainst** 

## the selection.criteria specified 

## in.the statut.e,

### the**Q~panment'$** 

## action Qn this 

## ma;tter is**b~ing** 

## administered throJJgh a public 

## dociket, 

## which 

# *llows allintereste:d,parties the oppprtUhity 

## to comment. FoUo\Wingow 

## rt'Ormal 

## practiC'e,,I ·am placing acep)Y ofyour letter and this responsein docket number**DOT.-2012~0029**

## .



## . Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretar:Y:for**Avl~tiop**

## andlntet;n:atiqnal**Aff~rs**

# · /

.. 0 PERKINS

# d:~ CO

March 14,2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590 1211 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1000 Portland, Oregon 97204-3710

Re: Alaska Airlines' application for POX-DCA; Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0029. Dear Secretary LaHood: Telephone: 503.221.0336 Fax: 503.294.4378

This letter is in support ofthe application ofAlaska Airlines to provide one daily roundtrip flight between Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Portland lntemational Airpot·t (POX). We are told that the Pot1land-Vancouver region is the second largest market to Washington DC, in terms of passengers per day, without nonstop service to DCA. It is the ideal candidate for such service. Nonstop service from Oregon/southwest Washington is limited to just a single daily flight between POX and Washington Dulles (lAD). With nonstop service from POX to DCA, Oregon/southwest Washington residents will benefit from enhanced competition and no longer be forced to use less convenient and more time-consuming service to reach our nation's capital. Alaska Airlines and its regional sister carrier, Horizon Air, have a large hub presence at POX, operating an annual average of more than 640 flights per week to 33 destinations. As a result, Alaska's nonstop flight would also improve service levels to Washington, DC for the Oregon cities ofEugene, Medford and Redmond, in addition to the greater Portland-Vancouver region. Importantly, Alaska has a strong customer service focus, reliable operational performance and financial strength. In sum, we are fortunate to have regular access to the best performing airline in the country. These qualities make Alaska the ideal carrier to provide Oregon/southwest Washington t·esidents with their first nonstop service to DCA. I respectfully urge you to grant Alaska Airlines' application to provide POX-DCA service. Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours, PERKINS & COMPANY, P.C.

Gary W. Reynolds



## S10-120J15-022