S I 0-100308-04 7 & I I S Deoartmen t Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E ; r'^^-:IIlr*vI « Washington , D C 2059 0 o f Transportatio n Office o f th e Secretar

y jy ^ | g 2OI O o f Transportatio n

Th e Honorabl e Mar

k Sanfor d Governo r o f Sout h Carolin a Columbia , S C 2921 1 Dea r Governo r Sanford : Than k yo u fo r your lette r supportin g th e applicatio n fo r antitrus t immunit y file dby America

n Airline s andJapan Airlines . I a mrespondin g o

n behal f o f th e Secretary . A s yo u ma y know , th e applicants—member s o f th e oneworl dAlliance—ar e seekin g antitrus t immunit y to closel y coordinat e flight s betwee n th e Unite dState s an dAsia . Accordin g to th e application , th e allianc e partner s pla n to launc h ajoin t

ventur e fo

r transpacifi c traffic . Th e applicatio n i s administere din apubli c docket , whic h ensure s that intereste dpartie s hav e th e opportunit y t o comment . Th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n (DOT ) wil l evaluat e th e applicatio n accordin g to rigorou s statutory standards , beginnin g wit h arevie w o f

th e recor dt o determin e i

f i t i s substantiall y complete . Decision s o n th e applicatio n ar e mad e i n consultatio n wit h th e U.S . Departmen t

o f Justice' s Antitrus t

Divisio n followin g athorougl i analysi s o f competitiv e factors . A s thi s matte r i s no w pending , I hop e yo u understan dthat I caimo t comment o n th e merit s o f

th e application . I ca

n assur e you , however , that DO T wil l giv e ful

l andfai r consideratio n to th e applicatio n a s wel l a s an y comment s filedin th e docket . A s i s our norma l practice , 1 a

mplacin g acop y o

f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2010-005 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor

di n thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t in thi s proceeding . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

dInternational Affair sS I 0-100308-04 7



# ^tat e o f ^outl ) Carolin a 0liit t o f t() e (!^obcrnor MAR KSANFOR D POS T OFFIC E BO X 1225 7 QOVERNO R COLUMBI A 2921 1 Marc h 1,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Raymon dH . LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Ave , S E Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Docke t DOT-OST-2010-lM I Dea r Mr . Secretary , Thank yo u for th e opportunity t o expres s our suppor t o f th e applicatio n fo

r antitrus t immunity andpropose djoin t

busines s agreemen t

filedb y American Airline s (AA ) an dJapan Airline s (JAL) . Th e propose dallianc e betwee n thes e tw o airline s i s vita l fo r oneworl dt

o compet e effectivel y wit

h th e Sta r an dSkyTea

malliance . Thi s increase dinterallianc e competitio n wil l i n tur n enhanc e th e benefit s o f

th e Department' s Ope n Skie s polic y - first b y solidifyin g U.S.-Japan Ope n Skie s an dthe n b y servin g a s afoundatio n for furthe r liberalizatio n acros s Asia . Afte r athoroug h review , w e encourag e th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n to approv e thi s applicatio n a s i t

woul denabl e thes e oneworl dallianc e airline s t o wor k closel y togethe r

to delive r highl y competitiv e ai r

transportatio n services . Approva l fo r a n AA/JA L allianc e wil l hav e a positiv e impac t

o n ai r trave l b y offerin g customer s mor e service , schedulin g an dpricin g option s an dwil l hel p t o ensur e tha t customer s continu e t o benefi t wit h thre e competitiv e ai r

alliance s firo mwhic h to choose . I f

w e may b e o f

further assistance , pleas e contac t m y Chie f o f Staf f Scot t Englis h a t (803 ) 734-516 6 o r

b y emai l a

t senglish@gov.sc.KOV . I urg e you t o quickl y approv e thi s application . Sincerely , Mar k Sanfor d MS/1 1