o 

US.Departmen t of Assistant Secretary 1 200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Transportatio n Washington, DC 20590 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

OCT 2 5 2010 

Mr. Allen Parsons. AICP - ' ^ ':-^5 ^ 

Wilson Miller Stantec '<-:, ''-^'^'^IX'B^ 

6900 Professional Parkway East co '^x^i'^^'fri 

Sarasota. FL 34240 '^^ S^-!S 

Dear Mr. Parsons: z:^ -yj ^ 

CD 

Tluink you for your letter of October 8 to Secretary LaHood supporting AirTran Airwa>^ 

Inc. (AirTran) to serve Sarasota. Florida, in the ongoing slot-exemption proceeding at 

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The Secretary has asked that I 

respond to your letter directly. 

As you know, the U.S. Depanment of Transportation commenced a proceeding on 

August 30 to reallocate two DCA slot exemptions that are currently being used by 

Republic Airline. Inc. (Republic). Republic has been using these two slot exemptions for 

DCA - Kansas City service. These slot exemptions may be used to serve any medium 

hub or smaller airport within the 1.250-mile perimeter of DCA. 

We have received a total of five proposals, briefly outlined below: 

• Sun Country to serve Lansing. Michigan, with 129- or 162-seat aircraft; 

• Republic Airline, hic, branded as Frontier Airlines, to continue to serve Kansas 

City. Missouri, with 99-seat regional jet aircraft; 

• Southwest Airlines Co:, to serve Kansas City utilizing 137-seat aircraft: 

• US Airways. Inc.. to serve Pensacola, Florida, utilizing 76- or 86-scat regional jet 

aircraft, depending on the season; and 

• Air Tran Airways. Inc.. to serve either Fort Myers or Sarasota. Florida, utilizing 

either 117- or 137-seai aircraft. 

As the slot exemption proceeding is competitive and is currently under review by the 

Department. I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on the merits of the 

proposals. [ assure you, however, that the Department will fully consider all of the 

proposals, and make its award based on the selection criteria detailed in the governing 

statutes. 

a J 
Mr. Allen Parsons. AICP 

Patzc 2 

As is our normal practice. 1 am placing a copy of yoiu' letter and my response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2000-7182 as a contact outside the record of this proceeding. 1 appreciate 

your interest in obtaining access to the Nation's capital. If I can provide further 

information or assistance, please feel free to call me. 

incereiy yours. 

usan L. Kurland 

issistanl Secretary for 

Ai/iation and International Affairs 
SlO-101015-067 

mis0nMiller m Stantec 

6900 Professional Partnvay East 

Sar»sota, FL 34240 

(M1) 907-6900 

Octobers, 2010 

The Honorable Ray H. LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue. S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

Reference: Docket OST-2000-7182 

We are writing to express our support for the application of AirTran Airways Inc. for the two available 

Ronald Reagan Washington Natwna! Airport (DCA) within-perimeter slots being allocated by the 

Department in Docket OST-2000-7182 to provide nonstop service from Sarasota Bradenton International 

Airport (SRQ) to DCA. 

The Sarasota Bradenton area has only one daily nonstop on a regional Jet to Washington, DC, even 

though it is the sixth-largest destination market from this area. With over 750,000 residents and our prime 

location as a leisure destination for tourists. SRQ can certainly support additional service and it would be 

a great help to the tourism industry in this region, which suffered a significant impact from the BP oil spill. 

This new service would also mitigate the negative economic impact the recession has had on the 

community and the airport. 

While AirTran also offers an alternative to award the route to Southwest Florida International (RSW), we 

ask that the slot be awarded to AirTran conditioned on the slot be utilized for SRQ. In addition to 

enhancing competition and lowering fares at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, the proposed 

service would increase connectivity to destinations in the Northeast and Midwest, critical markets for our 

region. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Wilson M il lerSta ntec 

A^ /L- « • 

Allen Parsons. AICP 

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