U.S. Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary 1200 NewJerseyAvenue. SE Washington, DC 20590 Office of the Secretary ofTransporlation January 22, 2013



### Mr. Herbert R. Tillery Executive Director College Success Foundation I805 

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### Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20001-3186 DearMr. Tillery: (/)



### Thank you for yout·Ietterto Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supportingthe application ofSouthwest Airlines (Southwest)for two within-perin1eter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes 1o serve Houston's William P. Hobby Airport with one nonstop round tripperday from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that Irespond to you on his behalf. We received Southwest's application on December 5, 2012. Other timely applications were received from JetBlue Airways, proposing one nonstop round 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 ofthepoints raised in your letter. However, Ican assure you that all applications received by the U.S. Department of Transportation 

### will be given due and careful consideration. The Departmern's action on this matter is being administered through apublic docket, which allows all interested partiesthe opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, Iam placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in docket numberDOT-OST-2000-7182. Iappreciate yourinterest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

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# COLLEGE FOUNDATION DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA

December 18, 2012 The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590 Re: Docket No. DOT-OST-2000-7182 Dear Secretary LaHood: I write in strong support ofSouthwestAirlines' (Southwest's) application to begin daily nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Houston HobbyAirport (Hobby). Southwest has been an important part ofthe Greater Houston community for over40 years. Southwest continues to grow in Houston, and now operates over 140 daily departures at Hobby to overthree dozen cities throughout the United States. DCA is one ofthe few major airports not served directly by Southwest from Hobby. In fact, no airline flies directly between DCA and Hobby. It is long overdue for Houston's downtown airport and Washington, DC's downtown airportto be linked with daily nonstop air service. Through new DCA-Houston service, Southwest proposes to attract tens-ofthousand of new passengers and generate millions ofdollars ofconsumer benefits annually in the DCA-Houston market. For these reasons, I respectfully ask the Department ofTransportation to approve Southwest's application. As one ofthe largest and fastest growing cities in the United States, Greater Houston is deserving of more affordable and frequent access to/from the Nation's Capital. Thank you foryour consideration ofthis request. Sincerely,

Executive Director



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