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U.S . Departmen t o f .i';i > icril_y>, , 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAve, . S.E . Transportatio n • •i-irO^iAU^l'^. , Washington , o c 2059 0 Offic e o f m e Secretar yj^^^^ ^ 29 . 201^*^^^^'^''^ ^ O f Transportatio n

Mr . Fi« dS . Morgan Presiden t an dCE O Th e Stat e Chambe r

o f Oklahom a 33 0 N.E . IO * Stree t Oklahom aCity , O K

73104-322 0 Dea r Mr . Morgan : Thank you fo r you r lette r o f Marc h 8 t o Secretary Ra y LaHood , supportin g th e applicatio n o f Southwes t Airline s (Southwest ) for tw o within-perimete r

slo t exemption s a t

Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Thes e tw o slo t

exemption s ar e availabl e for reallocatio n under 4 9 U.S.C . § 41718(b ) a s aresul t o f th e return o f

tw o suc h exemption s tha t ha dearlie r

bee n grante dfo r servic e t o Jackson , MS . Secretary LaHoo daske dthat I respon dt o you r

lette r o n hi s behalf . Southwest' s application , whic h th e Departmen t receive do n Marc h 5 , propose s t o serv e Will Roger s Airport

i n Oklahom aCity fromDC A with on e round-tri p pe r day . Othe r

timel y application s for

th e exemption s wer e receive dfromFrontie r Airlines , proposin g servic e t o Louisville , KY , an dU S Airways , proposin g t o continu e th e servic e t o Jackson . A s th e matter

i s stil l pending , I hop e yo u understan dthat w e canno t

commen t

o n th e merit s o f th e point s raise di n you r

letter . However , I ca n assur e yo u that ai l application s th e Departmen t receive s wil l b e give n ful

l an dfair consideratio n an dwil l b e evaluate dagains t th e selectio n criteri aspecifie db y statute . Th e Department' s actio n o n thi s matte r i s bein g administere dthroug h apubli c docket , whic h allow s al l intereste dpartie s th e opportunit y t o comment . Followin g ou r norma l practice , la m placin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n docke t DOT-2000-7182 . I appreciat e you r

interes t i n thi s matter . Sincerel y yours .

Robert Lettene y Deputy Assistan t

Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sTH E STAT E CHAMBE R O F OKLAHOM A

### Fre d s . Morgan LEGISLATIV E ADVOCATE S FO R DUSINES S Presiden ron d CE O Marc h 8,201 2 Th e Honorabl e Ray LaHoo d Secretary of

Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Washington , DC 2059 0 Re : Docke t

OST-2000-718 2 Dea r Secretary LaHood : O n behal f o f Th e Stat e Chambe r

o f Oklahoma , I writ e i n stron g suppor t o f Southwes t Airlines ' (Southwest's ) applicatio n fo r dail y nonsto p servic e betwee n Ronal dReaga n Nationa l Airpor t

(DCA) an dWil l RogersAirpoi t i n Oklahom aCit

y (OKC) . Southwes t projptose ^ t o initiat e th e Onl

y noristopseivic e betwee n Oklahom aan dDCA . Suc h direc t acces s t o tli e Nation' s Capita l woul db e exceptionall y beneficia l t Q th e busines s community of

Greate r Oklahom aCity . Considerin g th e siz e an dstrengt h o f Oldahom a City' s busines s community , w e believ e nonsto p servic e t o DC A i s fully justified , if

no t overdue . ' > Greate r Oklahom aCit

y i s growin g rapidly . Le db y it s vibran t energy-relate dindustrie s a s well a s th e defens e an daerospac e sQctors , Oklahom aCit y i s on e o f

th e fas t growin g communitie s i n th e Unite dStates . Ck)mbine dwith th e Federa l Aviatio n Adrhinistration' s Mike MohrbneyAercnautic s Cente r an dth e U.S . military' s Tinke r Ai r Forc e Base , Oklahoman s hav e considerabl e busines s befor e th e federa l government , whic h drive s deman dfo r

mor e direct , convenien t

an dfirequent

ai r servic e t o Washington , D.C . Today , vdt h n o nonsto p servic e t o DCA , ten s o f thousand s o f

OK C traveler s fly annuall y t o DCi A o n connectin g itinetaries . I n fact . OK C i s th e larges t

origi n an ddestinatio n marke t locate dwithi n DCA' s 1,250-mil e perimete r vxithoiit nonsto p ser/ice . Moreover , averag e ticket

price s o n thes e connectin g itinerarie s i n th e DCA-OK C marke t ar e relativel y expensive . W e ar e confiden t tha t nonsto p servic e fi-omalow-far e leade r lik e Southwes t

wil l produc e significan t

far e savings , i n additio n t o mor e convenien t acces s t o

•DC^A . • ••••• • • ..•.•;.; . . . . _ In'siinimaiy , give n Greate r Oldalioni aCity' s stron g origi n an ddestinatior i passenge r b^e,'cbnlbilie dwit h Southwest' s vas t domesti c network , Southwest' s applicatio n fo r OKC-DC A servic e i s asur e winne r fo r consumer s an di s undoubtedl y i n tiie U.S . public' s -interes t ^ • _ : • •;• • . .• . •• . • '33 0 N.E . 10t h Stree

t • Oklahom a Cify , O K73104-322 0 E-maif : (morgan^iotslotetihamber.co m MgiU35-366 9 . FA

X (405 ) 235-367 0 We b site : v^^^w.oksfotechombe.co m S10-1203 2 3- 0 5 1 Firs t Accredite d Stat e Chambe ri n th e Natio n

### Th

e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Marc h 8,201 2 Page 2 Therefore , we respectfiilly reques t th e Department

o f Transportatio n t o awar

dth e tw o slo t exemption s a t

issu e i n thi s proceedin g t o Southwes t Airline s s o tha t

i t ca n begin dail y schedule dservic e betwee n OK C an dDCA

. Thank you i n advanc e fo

r your consideratio n o

f thi s request . Sincerely ,

^ ^ <p-^ ^ 

### Fre dS . Morga

n FSM:GRC:r

m

S10-120323-05 1