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 i n ta xes 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 headquarte rs 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 ·lr v i·

n-

g Music Factory.

,....,**~** ' I '
- ' ' ' We have greatly benefit ed 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 pe rcent 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 competi tive balance is maintained among international airlines. We believe that reque st 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 &V I SITORS BUREAU Vl500 Wlas Co li nas Bou l evard I Irving, T e xa s 75039 irvingconventioncenter.com I irvingtexas.com



# s 10-150512-021

# !gY.~M~**e** )> CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU V>

The Honorable Anthon y R

. Foxx Se cretary of Tran sp o rt a tion US De p a rtm e nt of T ra n spo rt at ion 1 200 N ew Je rsey Ave SE W as hin g t o n , DC 20 590

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