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# PORT OF OAKLAND DEBORAH ALE FLINT Director of Aviation

Telephone: (510) 627-1133 Fax: (510) 835-0178

August 18, 2014

Mr. Paul Gretch, Director Mr. Robert Finamore, Chief Office of International Aviation U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590

Docket: DOT-OST-2013-0204



### ANSWER OF THE PORT OF OAKLAND IN SUPPORT OF NORWEGIAN AIR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED FOR AN EXEMPTION UNDER 49 U.S.C. 40109 AND A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER PERMIT PURSUANT TO 49 U.S.C. 41301

On behalf of the Port of Oakland and the Oakland International Airport ("OAK"), I appreciate the opportunity to submit this Answer in strong support of the Norwegian Air International Limited ("Norwegian") application for a foreign air carrier permit. This summer's commencement of Norwegian's international flight services between OAK and Norway and Sweden is already delivering tremendous positive economic, job creation and travel benefits to the greater San Francisco Bay Area region. The services that Norwegian proposes are in line with President Obama's January 2012 Executive Order on Travel and Tourism and are aligned with the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, and we therefore urge that the application of Norwegian be promptly granted by the Department of Transportation.
The San Francisco Bay Area is the third-largest U.S. origin and destination market served by one large hub and two medium hub airports. OAK is the most centrally located airport in the region, being the closest airport to nearly 50 percent of the Bay Area population according to the 2010 US Census.
International visitors spend $20.1 billion annually in California. Norwegian's initial service at OAK is estimated to bring 72,000 international visitors to the Bay Area in the first year of

530 Water Street • Jack London Square •- P.O. Box 2064 • Oakland, California 94604-2064 Telephone: (510) 627-1100 • Facsimile: (510) 627-1826 • Web Page: www.portofoakland.comoperation. According to California Travel and Tourism Commission statistics, these international

visitors will contribute an estimated $127 million to the California economy.

The international flight operations between OAK and Oslo, Norway and Stockholm, Sweden, respectively, are now over 90 days into service. Over 22,000 passengers have arrived and departed through OAK, .with these passengers representing 100 percent new air traffic for our airport. These flights have helped OAK to rebound to a one million passenger-a-month traffic level for the first time since August 2008.
In addition to filling an under-served travel market, the operations being conducted by Norwegian at OAK are showing significant economic benefit and job creation results in the surrounding region. At OAK specifically, over 50 new jobs have been created to handle the new flights. Facilities at our airport that had been closed during the recession and consequential carrier reductions at OAK, have been re-opened to handle Norwegian's passenger and cargo operations. Cold-chain air cargo is now also available for the first time in several years, creating additional import/export freight opportunities for regional shippers. In addition, a new line maintenance station has opened at OAK to handle the 787 Dreamliner aircraft maintenance and significant growth in flight provisioning services and fuel delivery are being reported as a result of the new Norwegian service. Taken together, all of these developments are helping to restore the airports economic impact on the region and pave the way for other airlines to serve the Bay Area's travel and logistics needs.
Norwegian is a valued partner of OAK and we have high hopes for the continued success and expansion of their activities in the region. We respectfully request that the Department grants Norwegian's application for authority to operate as they have proposed.
Respectfully submitted,

Deborah Ale Flint Director of Aviation