. ~ . E —/~ M •••v::i;iAiiO;' : ULS.D«partfTWntO f Assistan t Secretar yT20 0 Ne w JerseyAvenue , S E TronsportOtto n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f rh e Secretor

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## 2 5 201 0 Mr . To mDabne y Presiden t Th e Argu s Foundatio n P.O . Bo x 4936 1 Sarasota , FL 34230-636 1 Dea r Mr . Dabney : Thank you for you r lette r of Octobe r 6 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g AirTra n Airways , Inc . (AirTran ) t o serv e Sarasota , Florida , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReagan Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s askedtha t 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

ar e 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 Countr y t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , with 129 - 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 , with 99-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 For t Myer s o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117 - o r 137-seat 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 , I a

msure you understan dthat 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

al l 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 . To mDabne y

Pag e 2 A s i s ou r norma l practice . I a

mplacin g acop y of

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 can provid e further informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me .

1 ^ Susa n L . Kurlan d / / Assistan t

Secretar y for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

# T T)ffi!^GU S TbUNDAnO N PRESIDEN T R.G.Kell yCaldwell , Jr . VIC E PRESIDEN T Thoma s G, Dabney , I

I TREASURER WillianiE.Non h 9AS T PRESIDEN T Edmun dW . Monon . H

I EXECUTIV E DIRECTO R Kerr y G . Kirschnt

r BOAR D O FDIRECTOR S Kstbry n Angt O Car r A M . Band . Chartere d R.C . KcllyCildwcll,Jr . Caldyvel l Trus t Compan y j«c k J . c«x , r n Hal/ac n Constntctio n Compoi ^ Pete r T . Cuni n WtHiami , Parker , Harrison . Diett

A . Geize n Thon u G . DtbiNy , 1 1 GuifCoas t Propoi y Servicts , Inc . H . Roitil dFortmetk y Rust y Piumbifig Bnic e E . FnnMI n Th e AD FGroup . ItK . MfchaclJ.Fure n Jcard . Merril l CuUis . TJmm . Furtn . A GiHsburg . P.A. Da m L . Goarle y AquaS'ew , LL C Phili p N . Hamnenle y Norton , Hammersley . Lop aA ShAos , P.A. JMcp b R . Hcmbrt e Hembree A Associates , Jn c Timotb y D . HcMty fV.G . Mills , Inc . Ctnl g A . Johnio n FCC l Insuranc e Grou

p WlUU mR . Korp Haine s Cree

k Investments . LL

C JobiD.Mic«ki U AS O Jaait M XV . MtedamaU Cra b A Fl u Restauran t Donal d F . McDoDDng h Wm . F . SfcDonoug

h Plumbing . Inc . Robei i C . Mcad « Doctor s Hospita l o/Sarasot a EdmoB d W . MortOB , II I Morlonf i Gourme t Market WUUamE . Nortb Nort h A Company . CPAi Uod y L . Smit

h Aladdin Equipmen

t Compan y RIchan I D . Smlt

b Christopher . Smith , Leonard , Bristol . Siamtl A ^'ells . PA . Jcao o £ . Tail e Toal e Brother s Funeral Home s MIcbaelD . Well

y Longboa t Ke y Clu b Octobers . 201 0

Th e Honorabl e Ra

yM . LaHoo d Secretar yo f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAvenue , S.E . Wastiington . D C 2059 0 RE : Docke t OST-20900-718 2 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s suppor t forth e AirTng n appltcatjo n fo rth e two availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA ) wit h i n paramete rslot s t)6in g allocate d byyou rdepartmen t i n Docke t OST-2000 - 718 2 t o provid e non-sto p servic e fro m Sarasota/Bradento n intemationa l Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Argu s Foundation , a non-partisan , publi c policyfoundatio n supporte d by11 5 President' s an d CEO' s o f corporation s i n Soutiiwes t Florida , encourage s you rawar d o f thes e tw o slot s t o flight s betwee n SR Q an d DCA , Th e recen t afflliatio n of th e Sarasot a Communitywiti i th e Baltimore Orioles , an d associate d touris m an d busines s need s fordirect connection s t o th e Washington , D.C . marlce t ar e positiv e reason s fo rgrantin g Sarasot a thes e slots . TTi e economi c slowdow n ha s hi t th e Sarasot a marke t particulartyhar d an d havin g direct connection s t o th e D.C . marke t wil l provid e synerg yt o ou rongoin g economi c developmen t efforts . W e loo k forward t o you rposith/

e decisio n t o ou rreques t an d than k yo u fo r you rconsideratio n o f ou rnomination . Sincerel y To m Dabne y Presiden t cc ; Argu s Foundatio n Boar d o f Directors

Telephone : (941 ) 365-488 6 • (800 ) 396-488 6 • Fax : (941)955-201 5 P.O . Bo x 49361 , Sarasota , Florid a34230-636 1 • Website : www.argusfoundation.or g • E-mail : argusinc@caithlink.nc t