U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Assistant Secretary 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Matt Mauer 

Battalion Chief, Aircraft Rescue Division 

Kansas City Fire Department 

Kansas City, MO 

Dear Mr. Mauer: 

APR 0 7 2014 

.. , .... :, ..... 

'·.,.: .. ,) 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, supporting the 

application of Southwest Airlines (Southwest) for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at 

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to serve Kansas City 

International Airport with one nonstop round trip per day from DCA. Secretary F oxx asked that 

I respond to you on his behalf. 

We received Southwest's application on March 25, 2014. Other timely applications were 

received from JetBlue Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Jacksonville, Florida; from 

American Airlines, proposing one nonstop round trip to Islip, New York, and; from People 

Express Airlines, proposing one nonstop round trip on a seasonal basis to each Myrtle Beach, 

South Carolina (April-October) and West Palm Beach, Florida (October-April). 

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 received by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation will be given due and careful consideration. 

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 ofyour letter and this response in docket number DOT-OST-2000-7182. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
Valaitis, Ada (OST) 

From: 

Sent: 

To: 

Subject: 

Dear Secretary Foxx: 

Matthew J. Mauer <Matt.Mauer@kcmo.org> 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 2:43 PM 

Anthony Foxx (OST) 

Flight authorizations MCI-DCA (Docket No. DOT -OST -2000-7182) 

Re: Docket No. DOT-OST-2000-7182 

I understand that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering reallocating the necessary flight 

authorizations at Washington National Airport (DCA) that Southwest Airlines currently uses to operate daily nonstop 

service to and from Kansas City International Airport (MCI, locally-known as KCI). 

I am writing to express my support for low-cost airline competition in the MCI-DCA market and, in particular, to 

advocate for Southwest's low-fare brand and large plane service. I personally have already used this flight to travel from 

Kansas City to Reagan National for training events, to lobby my elected representatives at the U.S. Capitol, to meet with 

labor groups, and to work with the FAA. Without this competitive fare, my options to DCA are limited and more 

expensive. I appreciate Southwest's presence at MCI. 

Southwest began serving the MCI-DCA market in February 2014, after another airline dropped this route. Without 

Southwest's daily flight to/from DCA, myself and other consumers in the Greater Kansas City area are have been left 

with the only remaining choice, a monopoly service using regional jets. 

Southwest's one daily nonstop flight currently operates a Boeing 737 representing nearly half of the seats on this 

nonstop route, underscoring how underserved the MCI-DCA market would be if Southwest is no longer able to retain 

this flight. 

Incidentally, every flight I have taken on this route has been within two or three seats of full. 

Simply put, the MCI-DCA market is ofthe size and importance where a low-fare option is particularly critical for local 

consumers. Moreover, as MCI's largest airline and the America's largest low-cost carrier, Southwest provides important 

one-stop and connecting options for DCA-bound passengers from other parts ofthe United States. In its application, 

Southwest proposes new one-stop, same-plane service to/from Oakland, California (OAK) via MCI. 

For these reasons, I would respectfully urge DOT to approve Southwest's application to serve the MCI-DCA market on a 

permanent basis. 

Please let me know what else I can do to help Southwest retain this route. 

Respectfully yours, 

Battalion Chief Matt Mauer 

Kansas City Fire Department 

Aircraft Rescue Division 

816 810-7688 

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