D 

### S10-]00311-011

U.S. Department ofTransportation Assistant Secretary**~** 

## .. 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washlng'on. DC 20590 Office of the Secretory ofTransportation

The Honorable Linda Lingle Governor ofHawaii Honolnlu, HI 96813 DearGovernor Lingle: 

### LI

Thank you for your letter supporting theapplication for antitrustimmunity filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines. I am responding on behalfof,the Secretary. As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe oneworld Alliance-are seeking antitrust immunity to closely coordinate flights between the United States and Asia. According to the application, the alliance partners plan to launch 

### ajoint venture for transpacific traffic. The application is administered in apublic docket, which ensures that interested parties have the opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) 

### will evaluate the application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to determine 

### ifit is substantially complete. Decisions on the application are made 

### in consultation 

### with the U.S. Department ofJustice's Antitrust Division following a thorough analysis of competitive factors. As this matter is now pending, I hope YOll understand that I cannot commentonthe merits ofthe application. 

### Ican assure you, however, that DOT 

### will give 

### full and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed in the docket. As is our nonnaI practice, I am placing a copy ofyourletterand this response in Docket DOT-OST-2010-0059 as a contact outside the record 

### in this 

### matter. I appreciate your interest in this proceeding.

Susan L. Kurian ssistant Secretary for AVIation and International Affairs

### S 1 0-1 00311-011

EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS



### l\'1arch I, 2010
The Honorable Raymolld H. LaHood Secretary United States Department ofTransportation 1200 

### New Jersey A venue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590 RE: Docket DOT-OS1'-20I0-_ Dear Secretary LaHood: I am writing to express our state's 

### strong support for the antitrust immunity (AT!) application and proposedjoint

### business agreement

### tiled byAmerican Airlines (AA) and 

### Japan Airlines (JAL). The 

### proposed alliance between these 

### two airlines is vital for the 

### oneworld allianceto compete effectively with the Star and SkyTeam alliances. DOT approval for this alliance 

### will have a positive 

### impact on airtravcl by offering more service, scheduling and pricing options and will help to ensure that consumers continue to benefit from the competition afforded by three competitive air alliances. I encourage the DOTto approve this application as it 

### would enable these oneworld alliance airlines to work closely together to deliver highlycompetitive air transportation services. This increased alliance competition 

### will in turn 

### enhttneethc benefits of

### theDOT's Open Skies policy-first by solidifying U.S.

- Japan Open Skies, then by serving as a foundation tor further liberalization across Asia. Granting the requested immunity 

### is consistent with prior DOT 

### approvals that have 

### SUpi')011ed airline alliances, enhancing consumer 

### welfare through 

### increased airline competition. It has 

### nUowed for changes that 

### have brought

### expanded travel 

### networks and increased travel efficiency, 

### which would otherwise 

### not have been attainable. 

### I look fOl'\varrl,t9 

### yom' favorable 

### I;onsideration ofthcpending application. Sincerely.

# ~~. LINDA

# LlNG®­