U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. L.M. Smith 

Assistant Secretary 

April 19, 2012 

Chairman, Board of Port Commissioners 

Port of San Diego 

P.O. Box 120488 

San Diego, CA 92112-0488 

Dear Mr. Smith: 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

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

of Alaska Airlines, Inc., for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport (DCA) to serve San Diego International Airport with one round 

trip per day' from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that I 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 Alaska's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, 

on March 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round 

trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and 

beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines; one round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round 

trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; 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 all 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. 

Sin"/~01' 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
.... .. 

Marr::h 1 f:l, 20 ·12 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

'1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20690 

Re: Alaska Airlines' Application t'or SAN-DCA. Docl<et No. DOT-OST -2012-0029 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

The Port of San Diego fully supports the application ol' Alas I< a Airlines for air service between 

San Diego and Washington Rea9an National Airport {DCA). San Diego is the largest region 

without announcEJd service to DCA. Additionally, due to the profound community of inten;!st 

between San Diego and the nation's capital, the region generates the largest passenger market 

dernancl without nonstop servi1;e to the convenk:ml and close-in airport seNing our nation's 

C<."lpital. 

San Diego's sheer market size to Washington couplecJ with the tact that San Diego·- Dulles 

average airfares are the highest of west coast cities should qualify it 'for a pair of the limited slots 

available. The hiHh airfare is (:?xacerbated when f::1ctoring in taxi tares from Dulles to 

Washington's city center that averag<1 about $60 each way. This means travelers between 

Washington's city center and S"'m Diegel via DuHes can pay on average close to $400 one-way. 

There are also countless other San Diego--based and Washington-based businesses that are 

engaged in health science, telecornrnunications, and national defenst-; that need quick and 

convenient access to Reagan National Airport. The Port of San Diego l1;;1s an immediate need 

tor additional nonstop air service to our nation's capital. Alaska Airlines service would add a 

needed nonstop option to a primary gateway to Washington, DC. The Port of San Diego joins 

with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, tile San Diego Regional Economic --

Development Corporation, the World Trade Center San Diego, and the San Diego Regional 

Chamber of Cornrnerce in suppmt of Alaska Airlines' application for San Diego- Washington 

Heagan National slots. 

We ttlanf< tht? Oepartrnent of Transportation for the opportunity tc1 comment on the above 

referenced docket and we hope to hear or a favorable review of Alaska Airlines' San DiegoDCA proposal soon. 

Sincerely, 

-~·~··,.._,...,,~ ..... ---...... ___ ....... ._.~ ............. __ ..•. Wilt 

-~ .. M. Smitll 

Chairrnan 

Board of Pori Commh:>sion~':r::; 

s 10-120327-028