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u.s. Oepartment o.f Transportation Office of the Secretary Of Transportation

Mr. Fred S.**Mo~gan** 

### President and CEO The State Chamber efOklahema 330 N.E. 

### t01h Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104-3110 Dear Mr. Morgan: March 29 • 2012 120CI New Jersey AVe., S.E; Washil'lgton, OC 20590

l co

Thank you for your letter of**M~ch** 

### S

### to**Secret~u:y** Ray LaHood,**~!lpporting** 

### the**~ppticatio.n** of Southwest Airlines (Southwest) for 

### two within

...perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan WaShington National Airport (DCA). These two slot exemptions are available for reallocation under49 U.S.C. §41718(b) ps a result ofthe return oftwo such exemptions that ha.d earlier been granted for service to Jackson, MS. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to your Jetter on his behalf. Southwest's application, which the Department received on March 

### 5, proposes to serve 

### Will Rogers 

### Airport in Oklahoma City fro.m DCA with onr: ro.und

... trip per day. Other timely applications for the exemptions were received from Frontier Airlines, prop.osing servke to Louisville, KY, and 

### US Airways. proposing to continue the serVice to Jackson. As the matter is still pending, I hope you understand that we cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. However, I can assure you that all applications the Departmen:t 

### receives will be given 

### full and fair cm1siderndotl and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified by statute. The Department's action on this matter is**bein~admtnisterf!d** throUgh a public docket, which allows &tl.interested parties the opportunity h> comment. Following our normal practice., l am placing 

### a copy ofyour 

### ltmer and this response 

### In docket 

### DOT-2000.,718.2. I appreciate yol.lr in.terest i.n 

### this matter. Sincerely yours,

# ~·~ Robert Letteney Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and lnternadonaJ Affairs

### March 8, 2012


### The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 

### New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590 

### Re: Docket OST-2000-7182 

### Dear Secretary LaHood: Fred S. Morgan President and CEO



### On behalfofThe State Chamber of Oklahoma, I write in strong support ofSouthwest Airlines' (Southwest's) application for daily nonstop service between Ronald Reagan NatiorialAirport{DCA) and-Will Rogers.A:irpmt in Oldahoma C_ity**(OKC)~** 

### Southwest proi)6ses**toin~tiate** 

### the'dnly-nonstop serVice between Oklal,lomff, and DCA

. 

### .S1:1ch direct aceess 

## to the**N~rtion~s** 

### Ciipital.'livould 

### be exceptionally beneficial.

### to .the business,

.· community of Greater Oklahoma City. Considering the size and strength ofOklahoma**City~s** 

### business community, we believe nonstop service to DCA is fully justified, ifnot

•. !**~** . :"'I •· • 

### overaue. ·· ·· · .·· · · ·· · ·' ··

. '

.... · .. 

### Greater Oklahoma City is growing rapidly.· Led 

### by its vibrant energ-j-r·elatcd industries as well as the defense and aerospace**s~tors,** 

### Oldahoma City is one ofthe fast growing communities in the United States. Combined 

### with the Federal Aviation Adrninistration's Mike Moi1rbneY'Aercnautics Center and the U.S. military's Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahomans have considerable business before the federal government, which drives demand for more direct, convenient and frequent air service to Washington, D.C. Today; with no nonstop servlceto DCA, tens**of'~housand~_of.OKG** 

### travelers fly annually to 

### DCA on connecting itinetaries.· In fa(:t. OKC**isth~largest** 

### origin 

## and destination marketloCa:ted within DCA's 1,250-mile perimeter 

### without nonstop service. Moreover, average ticket prices on· these connec:ting itineraries·in the DCA-OKC merket are relatively expensive. We are confident that nonstop service from a low-fare leader 

### like Southwest will produce significant fare savings, in addition to more convenient access to DCA.·

.. ·.-:·· . ;·**-~'** .· 

### . •• '!

.. 

# .**~.** ' :
. . ... ,.**~~. ~**  

### · In.'$Uiinnacy, given Greater Oklahoma City's 

### .strong o.rigin and

### de~tinationpasdenger 

# ·base, ;com:bined With Southwest'svastdo.mestic- network; Southwest's applipation, for



## .**o~c.:.**

### DCA service is a sure winner for consumers and·is .undoubtedly in the U.S. public's --int

. t .

. . . .. , . , ..**-~w--'-------.:..**_ ___;·:.;.;_·._ ____;·:..___--:..:_. _:.__----:.....,.:..:--·'---·**~.......:·____:·"'--.**____:..·:.._·_:· __ "330 N.E. lOth Street o Oklahorno City, OK 7310Li·3220 35·3669 o FAX !405) :2:35-3670 · E·rnaif: fmorgdn@oblatechamber.com 1Neb sitr.":**"Nvvw.ok.~,tokx.hombes.o;,rn** Firs! Accredited State Chamber in the NationThe Honorable Ray LaHood March 8, 2012 Page2
Therefore, we respectfully request the Department ofTransportation to award the two slot exemptions at issue in this proceeding to Southwest Airlines so that it can begin daily scheduled service between OKC and DCA. Thank you in advance for your consideration ofthis request. Sincerely,

# ·~~/Y?~; 

# - FredS. Morgan FSM:GRC:rm