U.S. Deportment of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation


### Mr. Larry V. Green, Esq. City Council Member, District K 

### City ofHouston Houston, TX 77251-1562 DearMr. Green: Assistant Secretary


### January 22, 2013 1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE Washington. DC 20590



### Thank you for your letterto Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application ofSouthwest Airlines (Southwest) for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwestproposes to serve Houston's William P. Hobby Airport 

### with one nonstop round trip per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that 

### Irespond to you on his behalf We 

### received Southwest's application on December 5, 

### 2012. Othertimely applications were received from JetBJue Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Jacksonville International Airport, Florida, and from 

### US Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. As the matter is 

### still pending, I 

### cannot commenton the merits of

### the points raised in your letter. However, I 

### can assure you that all applications received bytheU.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, lam 

### placing a 

### copy ofyour letter and 

### this response in docketnumber DOT-OST-2000-7182. I 

### appreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. 

### Kurland 

### Assistant Secl'etary for Aviation and International Affairs

## .LARRY

# V. GREEN,

# EsQ. HoustonCityCouncilMember, DistrictK.

December 

### 17,**201~**

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportatiol'l 1200 NewJersey Avenue, S.E Washington, DC 20590 RE: Docket No. DOT-OST-2000-7182 (Southwest Airlines.non-stop) Dear Secretary LaHood: In the interest of promoting airline competition, affordable airfares and greater access between the Nation's Capital and Greater Houston, I respectfully requestthe Department ofTransportation to approve Southwest Airlines' (Southwest's) application for two slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to use these slot exemption to begin daily nonstop service between DCA and Houston Hobby Airport (Hobby). Today, there is no scheduled air service between DCA and Hobby. The Houston-DCA market is underserved and overpriced. As the Nation's largest low-cost airline, Southwest is well suited to provide significant consumer benefits in this important market. Since 

### 197t. Southwest Airlines has a proven track record of lowering ticket prices and stimulating more passenger traffic in the markets 

### it enters. Through new competition, lower airfares, and the use of

# a 143-seat aircraft, Southwest's proposed service is projected to attractthousandsof new passengers and generate millions of dollars of consumer benefits annually 

### in the DCA-Houston market.. Business and leisure travelers stand to benefit ifSouthwest Airlines is able to bring low-fare competition to the Houston-DCA market. Again, I respectfully request thatthe Department Of Transportation approve Southwest's application for two slot exemptions at DCA. Thank you in advance for your consideration ofthis importantmatter.



### "':S10:'121227-013: TclcJ>hOnc (832) 393-3016 • P,O.Bo:x 1562 • Houston,Texas77251-1562 • 900Bagby, 1" Floor districtk@houstontx.govP.O. Box 1562 .f:Iouston.Texas772$1-1562

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary**~f**Transportation 

## u.s. DepartmentofTransportaticm 1200 NewJerseyAve. S.E.

Washington,

### DC20590



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