Served: May 24 , 2012



### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Applications of Alaska Airlines, Inc., JetBlue Airways Corporation, Southwest Airlines Co., and Virgin America Inc., For exemptions from 14 C.F.R. Part 93, Subparts K and S, P ursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 41718(g), Special rules for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (beyond

- perimeter slot exemptions), as added by Section 414 of the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 Docket DOT

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- 2012

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NOTICE

By Order 2012

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- 12 (May 14, 2012)

, the Department granted a total of eight “beyond

- perimeter” slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to the above

- listed new entrant and limited incumbent air carriers, pursuant to a proceeding held under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FAA 2012), P.L. 112

- 95

. 1 The Department also directed these four air carriers to file in Do cket DOT

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- 2012

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, no later than ten business days after the service date of the o rder, their proposed flight schedules and effective dates of operations authorized by the o rder.

By this notice, we are assigning slot times awarded by Order 2012

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- 1 2, as follows: Alaska Airlines, Inc. , 1700 and 1800; JetBlue Airways Corporation , 0800 and 2100; Southwest Airlines Co. , 1600 and 1800; and Virgin America Inc. , 1600 and 1700. In making these determinations, we were required to balance the number of limit ed operations with the carriers’ operational needs, while fully complying with the statutory requirements of FAA 2012

. 2 The assigned slot exemption times indicate the hourly period s during which the slot exemption s must be operated, but not the precise departure and arrival times. Additional consultation related to exact operational times and effective dates may be required between the air carriers and the FAA Slot Administration Office prior to initi ating service.

We acknowledge that carr iers may wish to propose changes that may be necessary to optimize the slot exemption times listed above . Carriers may seek authorization from the FAA Slot

1 FAA 2012 amended 49 U.S.C. Section 41718 to add a new subsection (g)(2), directing the Department to grant, not later than 90 days after enactment, eight slot exemptions for nonstop service between DCA and airports beyond the 1,250

- mile perimeter (known a s “beyond

- perimeter” slot exemptions) for service to be provided by new entrant and limited incumbent air carriers. 2 Section 414 (b) of FAA 2012 allows us to assign two additional slot exemptions per one hour period (for a total of five), an increase fr om the three per hour authorized in Vision 100

- Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, P.L. 108

- 176. See 49 U.S.C. Section 41718(c)(2)(A)(ii).- 2

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Administration Office to temporarily exchange assigned sl ot exemption times with other slots or slot exemptions in a different hour for the purpose of conducting operations authorized by Order 2012

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- 12. In acting on such requests, the FAA will employ standard practices in conjunction with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements for the utilization of slot times between and among individual air carriers.

Finally, as stated in Order 2012

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- 12, air carriers must commence their proposed service no later than September 8, 2012. Regardless of subsequent slot time exchanges, the slot times assigned by this notice will be fixed. Furthermore, if any of the service granted by Order 2012

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- 12 is suspended, or does not commence in a timely manner, the Department will withdraw the slot exemptions based on their fixed slot time s

. We shall serve a copy of this notice on Alaska Airlines, Inc., JetBlue Airways Corporation, Southwest Airlines Co., Virgin America Inc., the Federal Aviation Administration Slot Administration O ffice, and the Metropo litan Washington Airports Authority.

By:

SUSAN L. KURLAND Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

Dated: May 24 , 2012

(SEAL)

An electronic version of this document will be available on the World Wide Web at: http:// www.regulations.gov