# o US.Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y 1 20 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y of Transportatio n 

## OCT 

## 2 5 

## 201 0 Mr . Alle n Parsons . AIC P - ' ^ ':-^5 ^ Wilso n Miller

Stante c '<-: , ''-^'^'^IX'B ^ 690 0 Professional Parkway Eas t c o '^x^i'^^'fr i Sarasota . F

L 3424 0 '^ ^ S^-! S Dea r Mr . Parsons : z: ^ -yj ^ C D 

### Tluin k yo u fo r your letter of Octobe r 8 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g AirTran Airwa> ^ Inc . (AirTran ) to serv e Sarasota . Florida , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReaga

n Washingto n National Airpor t (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dtha t I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . As yo u know , th e U.S . Depanmen t o f Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 to reallocat e tw o DCA slo t exemption s tha

t are currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline . Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s been usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s fo

r DC A - Kansa s Cit

y service . Thes e slo t

exemption s ma

y b e use dt

o serv e an

y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airpor t withi n th e 1.250-mil e perimete r of DCA . We hav e receive datota

l of five proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Sun Country to serv e Lansing . Michigan , wit h 129 - o r 162-sea t aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , hic , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e to serv e Kansa s City . Missouri , wit

h 99-seat regional je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co: , to serv e Kansa s City utilizin g 137-sea t aircraft : • US Airways . Inc. . t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76 - o r 86-sca t regional je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; and • Air Tran Airways . Inc. . to serv e eithe r For t Myer s or Sarasota . Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117 - o r 137-sea i aircraft . As the slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s currentl y under

revie w b y th e Department . I a

msur e yo u understan dtha

t I canno t comment o n the merit s o

f th e proposals . [ assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l full y conside r

al l of the proposals , andmak

e it s awardbase do

n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n the governin g statutes . a JMr . Alle n Parsons . AIC P

Patz c 2 A s i s ou r norma l practice . 1 a mplacin g acop y o f yoiu ' lette r

an dm y respons e i

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

thi s proceeding . 1 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 furthe r informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l fre e t o cal l me . incerei y yours .

usa n L . Kurlan d issistan l Secretar y fo r Ai/iatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

### SlO-101015-06 7 

# mis0nMille rm Stante c 690 0 Professiona l Partnvay Eas t Sar»sota , F L 3424 0 (M1 ) 907-690 0

Octobers , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

yH . LaHoo d Secretar yof Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t of Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAvenue . S.E . Washington , DC 2059 0 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : Reference : Docke t OST-2000-718 2 We are writin g t o expres s ou rsuppor t fo rth e applicatio n o f AirTra n Airway s Inc . fo rth e tw o availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Natwna ! Airpor t (DCA ) within-perimete rslot s bein g allocate d b y th 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 Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Sarasot a Bradento n are a ha s onl y on 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 sixth-larges t destinatio n marke t fro m thi s area . Wit h ove r750,00 0 resident s an d ou rprim e locatio n a s a leisur e destinatio n fortourists . SRQ ca n certainl y suppor 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 ne w servic e woul d als o mitigat e th e negativ e economi c impac t th e recessio n ha s ha d o n th e communit yan d th e airport . Whil e AirTra n als o offer s a n alternativ e t o award th e rout e t o Southwes t Florid a Internationa l (RSW) , we 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 at 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 market s fo rou r region . Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideration . Sincerely , Wilso n M i l lerSt a nte c A ^ /L- « • Alle n Parsons . AIC P

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