April 27, 2015 

The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

The Honorable John F. Kerry 

Secretary of State 

US Department of State 

2201 c Street NW 

Washington, DC 20520 

Dear Secretary Foxx and Secretary Kerry: 

We are writing today in support of more travel, commerce and opportunities for North Texas and Dallas/Fort Worth International 

Airport, and specifically in support of our main airline, American Airlines. 

Travel is an important economic engine to the City of Irving. Each year our city welcomes more than three million visitors which 

deliver $1.8 billion into our economy. It supports more than 16,000 jobs and generates more than $47 million in tax revenues into 

the city. Without the impact of travel, each Irving household would pay $567 more in taxes each year. 

We support President Obama's goal of attracting more than 100 million international travelers into the United States by the year 

2021. Many of those travelers will come to the DFW area attracted by our numerous corporate headquarters located in Irving and 

North Texas, tg1de events at facilities such as the Irving Convention Center, and growing arts and entertainment options, such as the 

soon-to-open ·lrvi·n-g Music Factory. , .... , ~ ' I ' - ' ' ' 

We have greatly benefited from the strengths of the Open Skies agreements that have helped DFW International Airport expand to 

more than 52 international and 148 domestic destinations. DFW Airport is one of the few airports in the world with that many 

destinations. 

Much of this growth would not have occurred without the efforts of American Airlines to make DFW Airport one of the major 

international hubs i,n the world. Today, American Airlines makes up 85 percent of flight traffic at DFW, generating more than 800 

flights per day to 193 domestic and intemational destinations carrying more than 50 million' passengers out of DFW each year. It is 

also our area\~ umber one employer with close to 17,000 North Texas residents employed by the airline. · · · ' 

The Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau recognizes the important role travel, DFW Airport and American Airlines have made to the 

City of Irving and' the North Texas area. 

American Airlines, along with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, have requested that the United States enter into consultations with 

the Gulf States as .allowed under the Open Skies agreements to review the issue and ensure a competitive balance is maintained 

among international airlines. 

We believe that request is reasonable. It is important this issue be resolved for its impact on travel into North Texas, our major 

international carriers' ability to comp~t~.on a l~vel ~nd fair playing field, and for the economic impact it could have on our area. We 

also believe that any evaluation of Op~? Skies must lso assess the impact on trav~I'E~rs ~nd the U.S. ~conomy as a whole. 

~ ~ · . .. , . 

a vi .. Chairman, Board of Directors 

Irving Convention and yisitors Bureau • 1 . • 

I ' ~ ' 

500 Vf las Colinas Boulevard I Irving, Texas 75039 

{972) 25? 7476 I (972) 40t 1729 fil: I irvingconventioncenter.com I irvingtexas.com 

1gY.~Me )> e 510-150512-021 CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Vl 
500 W las Colinas Boulevard I Irving, Texas 75039 

irvingconventioncenter.com I irvingtexas.com 

s 10-150512-021 

!gY.~M~ e )> 

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU V> 

The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transport ation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

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