U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation The Honorable Ronald E. Russell, Esq. Office of the Senate President P.O. Box 1690 St. Thomas, VI 00804-1690

Dear Mr. Russell: Assistant Secretary

April 19, 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application of JetBlue Airways for beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). JetBlue's application proposes to serve Luis Munoz Marin Airport, Puerto Rico, 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 of 2012, 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 JetBlue's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Austin, Texas, on March 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one round trip to San Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; 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.
Sincerely yours,

Susan 

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