The Honorable Luis G. Fortuno Governor ofPuerto Rico San Juan, PR 00901 DearGovernorFortufio: Aprill6,2012

Thank you for your letter S\lpporting the applicatio11 ofJetBlue Airways for beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan WashingtonNational Airport (DCA). JetBlue's application proposes to serve Luis Munoz Marin Airport, Puerto Rico, with one roundtrip perday from DCA. Underauthority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012,the U.S. DepartmentofTransportation will be awarding to new entrantorlimited incumbent carriers atotal ofeight slotexemptions atDCA, which would supportfour dailyround trips. Wereceived JetBiue's application, which also proposes onedaily round trip to Austin, Texas, on March 12. Othertimely applications were receivedfrom Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; AlaskaAirlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one roundtrip to SanDiego; Frontier**Airlines~** one roundtrip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; Southwest Airlines, one roundtrip to Austin and SanDiego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and VirginAmedca, Inc., two round trips to San Francisc.o. As the matteris still pending, ICf:lnnotcommenton the merits ofthepoints raised in yourletter. However. Ican assure you that all applications the Departmentreceived will be givenfull and fair considerationand will beevaluated againstthe selection criteria specified inthe statute. The Department's action on this tnatter is being administeredthrough apublic**docket~** which allows all interestedparties the opportuni mment. Following ournormal practice, Iam placing acopy ofyourletter andthis in.docketnumberDOT,.2012- 

### 9. Iappreciateyourinterest in thisLUIS G. FoRTui\Jo GOVERNOR

March 8, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary GOVERMENT OF PUERTO RICO

U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 DearSecretary LaHood:

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### .. On behalf of'the.-s.t million u-.s. citizens residing in Puerto Rico, I write·to express my full sUpporbfor··the:dpplicati'onby JetBiue Airways for beyond perimeter sl0.t. exeniptioris'.at Rbhald 

### Reagdh Washington National Airport {DCAh;to :proyicl.e nonstop' roOrid·:trip:servicE:F.fo::san• Juan, :Puerto·Rico as filed under:DocketDOTOST;.2012-0029. •
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.. · Throughout my administration, I have been committed to turning around Puerto Rico's economy. With the implementation of creative initiatives and new reforms, we are ·creating a better business environment in Puerto Rico and positioning the Island for long-term growth. To support this continued growth, our business and tourism sectors depend heavily on essential air access to strategic routes in the mainland U.S., where over 80 percent of our tourism traffic is generated. Our focus and efforts are already producing results with a 5 percent increase in weekly flight departures in 2012, ·sustaining Puerto Rico's position as the largest air services market in the Caribbean. The addition of this unique and new direct service to DCA provides a key opportunity for Puerto Rico and the traveling public. This direct link between the heart of:. our nation's capital and the Caribbean would increase the competitiveness ·of. our: Island, as well as other U.S. destinations in. the·-regipn. Visitors'to'.and. from·.the:.greater Washington area would be provided .a low7fare direct· optior1; :sornethirig 

### latking over the last few years, that would feed lhe successfUl ·tourism growth in our hotel and cruise sectors. Business ·and government officials would be able to easily connect to and from the Island,



### S10-120J20-061 LA FoRTALEZA, SAN JUAN, PR 00901 "' PO Box 9020082, SAN JuAN, PR 00902-0082 PHONe:(787) 721·7000,. FAX: (787) 722-4300The Honorable Roy LaHood Poge2 March 8, 2012 increasing economic opportunities and fostering essential business ties key to the long-term economic growth of our region. JetBiue is Puerto Rico's largest air carrier and since arriving on the Island, has expanded to key markets in the region, including St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Maarten and Santo Domingo. JetBiue also partners with Cape Air for added regional service connecting at San Juan. On the mainland, JetBiue's nonstop, large jet service has expanded from JFK to Boston, Hartford, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. The level of direct air service from San Juan to Washington has decreased over recent years, while fares have continued to rise. Remaining direct service is through either Baltimore Washington International Airport or Dulles International Airport, both quite distant from downtown Washington's business corridor and · government offices. I thank you for your consideration and urge you to award JetBiue the slot exemptions necessary to serve customers with nonstop round trip service between DCA and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The addition ofthis unique nonstop, a first of its kind, would create growth opportunities in the Caribbean region and be of great benefit to all residents of and travelers to Puerto Rico. Sincerely,

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. Fortuna



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