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! • I ' 7 Offic e o f th e Secretar

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Mr . Fredric k

J . Piccolo , A.A.E . President , Chie f

Executiv e Officer Sarasot aManate e Airport Authorit y 600 0 Airport

Circl e Sarasota , F L34243-210 5 Dea r Mr . Piccolo : Than k yo u for you r lette r of Octobe r 6 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g AirTran Airways . Inc . (AirTran ) t o serv e Sarasota , Florida , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s askedthat I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s you know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s that

are currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s fo

r DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s may b e use dt o serv e an y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datotal o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , wit h129 - o r 162-seat aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , wit

h99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City utilizin g 137-seat aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76 - o r 86-sea t regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Ai r Tran Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r Fort Myer s o r Sarasota . Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117 - o r 137-sea t aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s currentl y unde r revie w b y th e Department , 1 a

msure you understan dtha t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f

th e proposals . I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l fully conside r

all o f th e proposals , an dmake it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .

### Mr . Fredric k J . Piccol o Pag e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dm y respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 

### a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I ca n provid e further informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . ngerel y yours . ^y5lisa n L . Kurlan d 1 / Assistan t

Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

### SARASOT AMANATE E AIRPOR T AUTHORITY COMMISSIONER S Carlo s Benif f Dr . Gar yKompoth«cra s Eri cW . Robinso n Pau l A . Sharf f Bo b Wwchte r Lesli e Wall s PRESIDENT , CE O srq-airport.co m Fredric k j . Piccol o Octobe r6,2 0 J

O Th e Honorabl e Ra

yH . LaHoo d Secretaryo f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : Docke t OST-2000-718 2 Dea rSecretaryLaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou rsuppor t fo rth e applicatio n o f AirTra n Ain^vay s Inc . fo rth e tw o availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA ) within-perimete rslot s bein g allocate d b yth e Departmen t i n Docke t OST-2000-7I8 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fro m Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airport (SRQ

) t o DCA. Presentl yonl yUSAirway s serve s SR

Q wit h on e dail ydepartur e utilizin g a 7 0 passenge raircraft . Washington , D C i

s th e sixt h larges t marke t fro m th e Sarasota Bradento n area , whic h ha s ove r750,00 0 residents , ye t nonsto p servic e is limite d t o on e dail ydepartur e o n a smal l jet . Th e applicatio n o f AirTra n include s th e commitmen t o f utilizin g large raircraf t an d provide s lo wcos t competitio n o n thi s route . SR Q ha s suffere d a declin e i n passenge rtraffi cth e las t tw o year s o f ) 4 % an d thi s ne wservic e woul d hel p t o mitigat e th e negativ e economi cImpac t th e recessio n ha s ha d o n th e communit yan d th e airport . Whil e AirTra n als o offer s a n alternativ e t o awar d th e rout e t o Southwes t Florid a Internationa l (RSW) , w e as k tha t th e slot b e awarde d t o AirTra n conditione d o n utilizatio n o f th e slo t fo rSRQ . RS W alread yha s tw o airtfne s providin g dail ynonsto p servic e t o DC Ab yUSAirways an d AirTra n therefore : a competitiv e leve i o f servic e alread yexists i n thei rmarket . I n addition , th e servic e t o RS W is provide d b ya 737-40 0 an d a Boein g 71 7 resultin g i n 26 5 dail ynonsto p seat s t o DCA. Th e sam e competitiv e marke t doe s no t exis t a t SR Q an d th e tota l dall yseat s availabl e ar e on e quarte ro f th e leve l o f seat s alread yavailabl e a t RSW . I n additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an d towering fare s a i Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airport , AirTran' s propose d servic e woul d increas e connectivit yt o market s I n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critica l morket s fo rou rregion . Thi s woul d b e a n enormou s economi cbenefi t t o th e regio n an d its residents . Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideration . I f yo u hav e an yquestion s o rnee d an yadditiona l informatio n pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t me . Sincerely , Fredric k J . Piccolo , A.A.E . President , Chie f Executiv e Office r

6000 Airpor

t Circl e • Sarasota , Florid a 34243-2105 • telephon e (941 ) 359-5200 • fa x(941 ) 359-520

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