# o . ; ! . L 'I ! L. T UlS.O«portnwn f o f Assistan t Secretar y120 0 Ne wJ*fi« yAvenue , S E ThmsportOtki n .. , , . -- , Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y' ' o f Transportatio n 

### OC T2 S ZOi Q Mr . Georg e H . Mazzarantan i 180 0 Secon dStreet , Suit e 70 8 Sarasota , FL 3423 6 Dea r Mr . Mazzarantani : Thank yo u fo r you r lette r o f Octobe r 6 t o Secretar y 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 National Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s aske dtha t I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t of 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 , hic . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for DC A - Kansa s Cit y 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 receivedatota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , with129 - o r 162-sea t aircraft ; • Republi c Airline . Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , with99-seat regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City utilizin g 137-seat aircraft ; • V S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76 - o r 86-seat regional 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 Myers 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 , I a

msur e yo u 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 the proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .Mr . Georg e H . Mazzarantan i

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

mplacin g acop y of

you r lette r an dmy respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recordo f

this 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 . pcerel y yours , U- — ^Susa n L . Kudan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s5-02 ? ) 0 U WOFFICE S OF 

### GEORGE H . MAZZARANTANI , P A WWW.MAZZARANTANI.CO M 180 0 SECON D STREET . SUIT E 70 8

SARASOTA . F L 3423 6 Octobers , 201 0 Vi a Regula rMai l Th e Honorabl e Ra

yH . LaHoo d Secretar yo f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 NewJerse yAvenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : Docke t OST-2000-718 2 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : W e are writin g t o expres s ou rsuppor t fo rth e applicatio n of AirTra n Airway s Inc . fo rth e tw o availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA ) within perimete rslot s bein g allocate d byth e Departmen t i n Docke t OST-2000-718 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fro m Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airport (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Sarasot a Bradento n are a ha s onl yon e dail ynonsto p o n a regiona l je t t o Washington , DC , eve n thoug h i t i s th e sixt h larges t destinatio n marke t fro m thi s area . Wrt h ove r750,00 0 resident s an d ou rprim e locatio n a s a leisur e destinatio n fo rtourists , SR Q ca n certainl ysuppor t additiona l servic e an d i t woul d b e a grea t hel p t o th e touris m industr yi n thi s region , whic h suffere d a significan t impac t fro m th e B P oi l spill . Thi s new servic e woul d als o mitigat e th e negativ e economi cimpact th e recessio n ha s ha d o n th e communit yan d th e airport . Whil e AirTra n als o offers a n alternativ e t o award th e rout e t o Southwes t Florid a Internationa l (RSW) , w e as k tha t th e slo t b e awarde d t o Airtra n conditione d o n th e slo t b e utilize d fo rSRQ . I n additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an d lowerin g fare s a t Sarasot a Bradento n internationa l Airport , th e propose d servic e woul d increas e connectivityt o destination s i n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critica l mari^ets fo rou rregion . Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideration .

Georg e H . M^sarantani , Esq . Fc^The^ ygeorge@mazzarantani.co m GHMAe a (70179 )