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### U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation



## Mr; Bob Mitchell Assistant Secretary



### January 18, 2013



### President, Bay Area HoustonEconomic 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 ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supporting the

## appl~cati'oii ofSouthwestAirlines (Southwest)for two within-perimeter slot exemptions atRonaldReagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to serve Houston's WilliamP. Hobby Airport with one nonstop round trip per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that 1respond 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 ofthe 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 ournormal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letterand this response in docket number DOT-OST-2000-7182. Iappreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairsi'

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# BAYAREA ..·**~\HOUSTJN ~**  Economic P<Jrtncrship

December 6, 2012 The Honorable Raymond 

### H. LaHood Secretary ofTrtlnsportation 

### U.S: Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 

### 20590 Re: Docket DOT-OST-2000-7182 Dear Secretary LaHood: It has comet() my attention thatSpirit 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 ofthe 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 supportfor 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 avery important economic driver in the region. Additionally, Houston's world-renowned Texas Medical Center, the world's largest medical center, the University ofTexas Medical Branch in Galveston, ;3nd the numerous excellent hospit?ls and research centers in the Houston area combine to form another major industry sectorfor 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 ofthe 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 ofthis 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 ofTransportation approve SouthwestAirlines' application for daily, nonstop service between DCA and HOU. Thank you for your consideration ofthis important matter. t:?eg;rd,

# ~ell Pre"sident Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership P.O. Uux '18724**Hou~ton** Tt:x<h 77 2'ifHl724 Vnifc: 8 31.'> lb
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The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary ofTransportation 

### U.S. DepartmentofTransportation 1200 New JerseyAvenue, S.K Washington, DC 20590 jll

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