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S 1 0-100309-033 


1200 New Jel'$ey Avenue. SE Assistant Secretary U.S. Department Washington, DC 20590 

of Transportation L1 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Mark Parkinson 

Governor of Kansas 

Topeka. KS 66612-1590 

Dear Governor Parkinson: 

Thank you for your letter supporting the. application for antitrust immunity filed by American 

Airlines and Japan Airlines. I am responding on behalf of the Secretary. 

As you may kno\\?, the applicants-members of the oneworld Alliance-are seeking antitrust 

immunity to closely coordinate nights between the United States and Asia. According to the 

application, the alliance partners plan to launch ajoint venture for transpacific traffic. 

The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the 

opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will evaluate the 

application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to 

detennine if it is substantially complete. Decisions on the application are made in consultation 

with the U.S. Department ofJustice's Antitrust Division following a thorough analysis of 

competitive factors. As this matter is now pending, r hope you understand that I cannot 

comment on the merits oflhe application. I cal] assure you, however, that DOT will give full 

and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed in the docket. 

As is our normal practice, J am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2010-0059 as a contact outside the record in this malter. I appreciate your interest in 

this proceeding. 

u an L. Kurland 

ssistant Secretary for 

AVI tion and International Affairs 
S 10-] 00309-033 


Mark Parkinson, Governor 

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR www.governor.ks.gov 

March 1, 2010 

The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood. Secretary 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 


1200 New Jersey Ave, SE . 


Washington, DC 20590 


Docket DOT-OST-2010-_ 


Dear Mr. Secretary: 

Thank you for the opportunity to express my support for the application for antitrust immunity 

and proposed joint business agreement filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines. The 

proposed alliance between these two airlines is vital for oneworld to compete effectively with the 

Star and SkyTeam alliance. This increased interalliance competition will in turn. enhance the 

benefits ofthe Department's Open Skies policy - first by solidifying U.S.-Japan Open Skies. 

then by serving as a foundation for further liberalization across Asia. 

After a thorough review, I encourage the Department ofTransportation to approve this 

application as it would enable these oneworld alliance airlines to work closely together to deliver 

highly competitive air transportation services. Approval for AAlJAL alliance will have a 

positive impact on air travel by offering customers more service, scheduling and pricing options 

and will help to ensure that customers continue to benefit from having three competitive air 

alliances to choose from. 

I urge you to quickly approve this application. 

Capitol Building, Room 2128, Topeka, KS 66612-1590 .. (785) 296-3232 " Fax: (785) 296-7973 

e-mail: governor@ks.gov