Q 

U S DGPOrtmOnt of AssEsmm Sc'crt-'inrv :2G0 Mew Jor^ev A;e . S.E. 

Transportation '.vn.h-ng,cn. DC 20590 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

007 2 5 2019 ^^ 'S^ . 

Mr. Steve Queior. CCE c^ 

Piesidenl cT-^ 

The Greater Sara.^ota Chamber of Commerce 

1945 Fruitville Road 

Sarasota. FL 34236 

Dear Mr. Queior: 

Thank you for your letter of October 7 to Secretary LaHood supporting AirTran Airways, 

hic. (AirTran) to serve Sarasota. Florida, in the ongoing slot-exemption proceeding at 

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The Secretary has asked that I 

respond to your letter directly. 

As you kjiow, the U.S. Department of Transportation commenced a proceeding on 

August 30 to reallocate two DCA slot exemptions that are currently being used by 

Republic Airline, (nc. (Republic). Republic has been using these two slot exemptions for 

DCA - Kansas City service. These slot exemptions may be used to serve any medium 

hub or smaller airport within the 1.250-mile perimeter of DCA. 

We have received a total of five proposals, briefly outlined below: 

• Sun Country to serve Lansing. Michigan, with 129- or 162-seat aircraft: 

• Republic Airline, Inc., branded as Frontier Airlines, to continue to serve Kansas 

City, Missouri, with 99-seat regional jet aircraft; 

• Southwest Airlines Co.. to serve Kansas City utilizing 137-seat aircraft; 

• US Airways, Inc.. to serve Pensacola. Florida, utilizing 16- or 86-seat regional jet 

aircraft, depending on the season; and 

• Air Trail Airways. Inc.. to serve either Fort Myers or Sarasota. Florida, utilizing 

either 117- or 137-seat aircraft. 

As the slot exemption proceeding is competitive and is currently under review by the 

Department. I am sure you understand that 1 cannot comment on the merits of the 

proposals. I assure you. however, that the Department will fully consider all of the 

proposals, and make its award based on the selection criteria detailed in the govertiing 

statutes. 
Mr. Sieve Qiieioi'. CCE 

Pa^e 2 

As is oiu" noniial practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and iny response in Docket 

DOT-OST-20nO-7182 as a contact outside the record of this proceeding. I appreciate 

your interest in obtaining access to the Nation's capital. If I can provide further 

information or assistance, please feel free to call me. 

/ /^usan L. Kurland 

/y Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
TTi» 

GREATER SARASOTA 

e 

^MCHAMBE R 

^KWM m Hof Commerc e 

COMMERCE SARASOTA COUNCIL 

GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES COUNCIL 

LEADERSHIP SARASOTA COUNTY 

SlO-101015-065 

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS ft EVENTS COUNCIL 

SMALL BUSINESS COUNCIL 

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP 

October 7. 2010 

The Honorable Ray H. LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, IX: 20590 

RE: Docket OST-2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

We are writing to express our support for the application of AirTran Airways Inc. for the two 

available Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) within-perimeter slots being 

allocated by the Department in Docket OST-2000-7182 to provide nonstop service from Sarasota 

Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) to DCA. 

The Sarasota Bradenton area has only one daily nonstop on a regional jet to Washington, DC, 

even though it is the sixth largest destination market from this area. With over 750,000 residents 

and our prime location as a leisure destination for tourists, SRQ can certainly support additional 

service and it would be a great help to the tourism industry in this region, which suffered a 

significant impact from the BP oil spill. This new service would also mitigate the negative 

economic impact the recession has had on the community and the airport. 

Our business community includes extensive cultural and sports employment. As the spring 

training home of the Baltimore Orioles and the cultural Mecca of Southwest Florida we have 

substantial air traffic to Washington DC even with our cunently limited service. The maximum 

Florida economic impact can be accomplished by the award of the slot to Sarasota Bradenton. 

While AirTran offers an alternative to award the route to Southwest Florida Internationa] (RSW), 

we ask that the slot be awarded to AirTran conditioned on the slot being utilized for SRQ. In 

addition to enhancing competition and lowering fares of Sarasota Bradenton International 

Airport^ the proposed service would increase connectivity to destinations in the Northeast and 

Midwest, critical markets for our region. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

^S^^^>^C^^^^^t^ 

Steve Queior, CCE, President 

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 

1945 Fruftvilie Road • Sarasota, FL 34236 • 941-955-8187 • Fax 941-366-5621 • wwvy.sarasotachamber.com 
Q 

USu Departmen t Of Assistant Secretary 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Transportatio n Washington, DC 20590 

Off ice Of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

OCT 2 5 2010 

Ms. Stephanie Dean 

Director of Sales -^:' -^^'^ . 

Hampton inn & Suites Sarasota/Bradenton Airport jr915 University Parkway .:^ 

Sarasota. FL 34243 ^ 

Dear Ms. Dean: 

Thank you for your letter of October 6 to Secretary LaHood supporting AirTran Airways, 

Inc. (AirTran) to serve Sarasota, Florida, in the ongoing slot-exemption proceeding at 

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The Secretary has asked that 1 

respond to your letter directly. 

As you know, the U.S. Department of Transportation commenced a proceeding on 

August 30 to reallocate two DGA slot exemptions that are currently being used by 

Republic Airline. Inc. (Republic). Republic has been using these two slot exemptions for 

DCA - Kansas-City service. These slot exemptions may be used to serve any medium 

hub or smaller airport within the 1.250-mile perimeter of DCA. 

We have received a total of five proposals, briefly outlined below: 

• Sun Country to serve Lansing, Michigan, with 129- or 162-.scat aircraft; 

• Republic Airline, Inc., branded as Frontier Airlines, to continue to serve Kansas 

City. Missouri, with 99-seat regional jet aircraft; 

• Southwest Airlines Co.. to serve Kansas City utilizing 137-seat aircraft; 

• US Airways, Inc.. to serve Pensacola. Florida, utilizing 76- or 86-seat regional jet 

aircraft, depending on the season; and 

• Air Tran Airways. Inc.. to serve either Fort Myers or Sarasota. Florida, utilizing 

either 117- or 137-seat aircraft. 

As the slot exemption proceeding is competitive and is currently under review by the 

Department, 1 am sure you understand that I cannot comment on the merits of the 

proposals. 1 assure you. however, that the Department will fully consider all of the 

proposals, and make its award based on the selection criteria detailed in the governing 

statutes. 

a--
Ms. Stephanie Dean 

Paae 2 

As is our normal practice. I am placing a copy of your letter and my response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2()00-7I82 as a contact outside the record of this proceeding. I appreciate 

your interest in obtaining access to the Nation's capital. If I can provide further 

information or assistance, please feel free to call me. 

incerely yours. 

>usan L. Kunand 

issistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
"\/. 

Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasota/Bradenton-Airport, PL 

975 University Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34243 

SlO-101015-066 

tel: 941-355-8140 

fax:941-359-2939 

October 6, 2010 

Ttie Honorable Ray H. LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Docket OST-2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

We ore writing to express our support for the application of AirTran Airways Inc. for the two 

available Ronald Reagan Woshington National Airport (DCA) wittiin-perimeter slots being 

allocated by ttie Department in Docket OST-2000-7182 to provide nonstop service from Sarasota 

Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) to DCA. 

The Sarasota Bradenton>orea has only one daily* nonstop on a regional jet to Washington, DC, 

even though it is the sixth largest destination market from this area. With over 750,000 residents 

and our prime location as a leisure destination for tourists, SRQ can certainly support additional 

service and it would be a great help to the tourism' industry in this region, which suffered a 

significant impact from the BP oil spill. This new service would also mitigate the negative 

economic impact the recession has had on the community and the airport. 

While AirTran also offers an alternative to award the route to Southwest Florida (nternationot 

(RSW), we ask that the slot be awarded to Airtran conditioned on the slot be utilized tor SRQ. In 

addition to enhancing competition and lowering fares of Sarasota Bradenton Intemational 

Airport, the proposed service would increase connectivity to destinations in the Northeast and 

Midwest, critical markets for our region. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Stephanie Dean 

Director of Sales 

Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasofa/Bradenfon Airport 

975 University Parkway 

Sarasota, FL 34243 

SteDhanie.Dean@hilton.com 

for reservations please visit us at hampton.com or call 1 .SOO.hampton 

offK-al sporsof