I I 

1 

U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr; Bob Mitchell 

Assistant Secretary 

January 18, 2013 

President, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership 

P;O. Box .58724 

Houston, TX 77258-8724 

Dear Mr. Mitchell: 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

washington, DC 20590 

Thank you. for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the appl~cati'oii of Southwest Airlines (Southwest) for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to serve Houston's William P. Hobby 

Airport with one nonstop round trip per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that 1 respond 

to you on his behalf. 

We received Southwest's application on December 5, 2012. Other timely applications were 

received from Jet:Blue Airways, proposing one nonstop rourid trip to Jacksonville International 

Airport, Florida, and from US Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Will Rogers World 

Airport in Oklahoma City. 

As the matter is still pending, I .cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However:, I can assure you that all applications received by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation will be given due and careful consideration. 

The Department's. action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-OST-2000-7182. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
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~ (.y\ BAY AREA .. · 

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~\HOUSTJN Economic P<Jrtncrship 

December 6, 2012 

The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood 

Secretary of Trtlnsportation 

U.S: Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re: Docket DOT-OST-2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

It has comet() my attention that Spirit Airlines has cancelled all of its operations at Washington Reag<ln Airport, 

therefore making slots available for another airline. As president of a major economic development organization in 

• southeast Houston, I'm aware of the significant impact nonstop service between Houston's Hobby Airport (HOU) and 

·' 

! Washington Reagan (DCA) would have. Therefore, I am writing to you to express my wholehearted support for the U.S. 

Department ofTransportation to award these newlyavailable slots to a proposed nonstop service between Hobby and 

Washington Reagan. 

Houston has the second most Fortune 500 company headquarters in the U.S., trailing only New York City. However, 

companies such as Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Chevron and British Petroleum have a huge presence in Houston even though 

they are not headquartered in the city. NASA Johnson Space Center, with its 14,000 cfvil service and contractor 

employees, is a very important economic driver in the region. Additionally, Houston's world-renowned Texas Medical 

Center, the world's largest medical center, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, ;3nd the numerous 

excellent hospit?ls and research centers in the Houston area combine to form another major industry sector for this 

thriving city. 

Currently, only one airline provides flights between Houston and Washington Reagan Airport. That airline is located at 

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which is well north of the city and at least an hour's drive from southeast 

Houston. There's a timely expression that states, "Time is money." For these above-mentioned industries and many 

more within the greater Houston area, the convenience of having nonstop flights between HOU and DCA is inestimable. 

l have been made aware that Southwest Airlines will apply for daily, nonstop service between its home base at Hobby 

Airportand Washington Reagan Airport. Houston's economic growth continues to trend upward. The addition of this 

route would make a substantial contribution to the travel options available to Houston's businesses. 

Adding this route is economically sound. Therefore, I respectfully requestthat the Department of Transportation 

approve SouthwestAirlines' application for daily, nonstop service between DCA and HOU. Thank you for your 

consideration of this important matter. 

t:?eg;rd, 

~ell Pre"sident 

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership 

P.O. Uux '187 24 Hou~ton Tt:x<h 77 2'ifHl7 24 

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BAY AREA 

HOUSTJN ~'- Ecdnomic Partnership 

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The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.K 

Washington, DC 20590 

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