U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Kirk Watson 

Texas State Senator 

P.O. Box 12068 

Austin, Texas 78711 

Dear Mr. Watson: 

Assistant Secretary 

April 20, 2012 

1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

c::: 

\..•,) 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the award of 

beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to be 

used for nonstop service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas. 

Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received applications proposing to serve AUS from two carriers, Southwest Airlines and 

JetBlue Airways. Each sought two slot exemptions, which would support one daily DCA-AUS 

round trip; JetBlue also applied for two slot exemptions to serve San Juan, Puerto Rico. Other 

timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, 

British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one round trip to San 

Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; Sun 

Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San 

Francisco. 

As the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 

The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows aU interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT -2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
COMMITIEES: 

TRANSPORTATION & HOMELAND SECURITY· VICE·C~IAIR 

BUSINESS 8c COMMERCE 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

HIGHER EDUCATION 

NOMINATIONS 

March 19,2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

KIRK WATSON 

STATE SENATOR 

DISTRICT 14 CAPITOL ADDRESS 

P.O. BOX 12068 

RooM E1.810 

AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711 

512/463·0114 

FAX 512/463·5949 

I am writing in support of nonstop service between the Nation's capitol and the Texas capitol, from Ronald 

Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). 

Austin is the 14th largest - and the third fastest-growing - city in the United States with an MSA 

population of 1.8 million. This is a 37 percent increase since 2000. Moreover, our population is projected to 

reach 2 million in just three years. 

I'm proud to say that AUS has grown right along with the city. I was pleased to serve as mayor of Austin 

when AUS opened at its current location in 2000. Clean, safe, reliable nonstop air transportation is vital to 

Austin's continued growth. Austin has been ranked as "America's No. 1 Boom Town., by Forbes magazine. 

It has been named as one of the "Top 10 American Cities of the Future" by tDi Intelligence. 

Austin's unique blend of easy-going vibe and energetic capitalism has attracted residents and visitors from 

across the country and · around the world. While the SXSW and ACL musical festivals and other 

entertainlilent events draw an ever-increasing number of leisure visitors, the SXSW Interactive Conference 

and leading research institutions examine pressing issues of technology and public policy also attract leading . ~­

figures in business and academia on a regular basis. 

Consistent contributions to America's cultural, political, and intellectual life by Austin have helped many. 

Your award of the necessary slots for nonstop AUS-DCA service will ensure these contributions continue. 

Thank you for your consideration of Austin during this process. Please contact me if I may provide any 

further assistance to you during this process. 

Sincerely, 

vf~~ 

Kirk Watson 

S10-120321-123