^ U.S . Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y120 0 Ne w JerseyAvenue , S E Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O

f th e Secretar y o f Transportatio n ««,,„, , 

### MA R 0 3 20r u Th e Honorabl e Mik e Byer s Presiden t Th e Lak e Housto n Are aChambe r o f Commerc e 11 0 Wes t Mai n Stree t Humble , T X 7733 8 Dea r Mr . Byers : f j Than k yo u for you r lette r supportin g th e applicatio n fo r antitrus t immunit y file db y Al l Nippo n Airways , Unite dAi r

Lines , an dContinenta l Airlines . I a mrespondin g o n behal f o f Secretar y LaHood . A s yo u may know , th e applicants—member s o f th e Star Alliance—ar e seekin g antitrus t immunit y t o closel y coordinat e flight s betwee n th e Unite dState s £in dAsia . Accordin g t o th e application , th e allianc e partner s pla n t o launc h ajoin t ventur e fo r

conveyanc e o f

transpacifi c traffic . Th e applicatio n i s administere di n apubli c docket , whic h ensure s tha t 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 t o rigorou s statutor y standards , beginnin g with arevie w o f th e recor dt o determin e if

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 athoroug h analysi s o f competitiv e factors . A s thi s matte r i s no w pending , I hop e yo u understan dtha t I carmo t commen t 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 full an dfair consideratio n t o th e applicatio n a s wel l a s an y corrmient s file di n th e docket . A s i s ou r norma l practice , I amplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2009-035 0 a s acontac t outside th e recor di n thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s proceeding . Sincerel y yours .
Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

## S I 0-100218-02 9



# LAK E HOUSTO N AEE A CHAMBE

R ES T HUMBLE , T X 192

5 Januar y 30,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretary" . Unite dState s Department o f Transportatio n 120 0 New Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D.C . 2059 0 bea r Secretar y LaHood : O n behal f o f the " Lak e Housto n Are aChamber

o f Commerc e (previousl y th e Humbl e Are aChambe r o f Commerce) , I a

mwritin g i

n suppor t o f th e Continental/United/Al l Nippo n Airway s join t applicatio n for

antitrus t immunity andapproval for th e thre e carrier s t o creat e th e first eve r join t airlin e venture betwee n th e U.S . and Asia. . Las t year , th e Lak

e Housto n Are aChamber

o f Commerc e supporte dContinental' s Trans-Atlanti c antitrus t immunity an djoin t

ventur e applicatio n t o joi n th e Sta r Alliance , give n th e consumer benefit s it

woul dprovide . Continental' s subsequent

entranc e into Sta

r ha s enhance dcompetitio n amon g al l thre e globa l alliance s and , fo r instance , i s th e primar

y reaso n Continental ha s launche dne w non-sto p servic e betwee n Housto n andFrankfurt , German y an dEdmonton , Canada . Continental als o reinstate dth e Houston-Washington/Dulle s market , whic h allow s eas y acces s for.custoraer s t o United' s Dulle s hub , aStar Allianc e partner ; Additionally , servic e fro m Newark/Ne w Yor

k t o Munich , Germany i s schedule dto b e adde dthi s year , givin g th e Housto n are aa n eas y one sto p connection . We are confident that approval o f

th e Pacifi c applicatio n can als o b e helpfu l t o Continental i n expandin g it s networ

k i n th e Pacifi c regio n onc e economi c condition s warrant . W e fiiTTil y believ e cooperatio n amon g airline s benefit s ai r trave l consumers , airlin e competition , an ddrive s job s an deconomi c growth ; Wit h th e recen t

U.S . - Japan open skie s agreement , barrier s t o ne w air servic e betwee n ou r regio n an dpoints , i n Japa n hav e been removed . Antitrus t immunit y wil l enabl e al l thre e airline s t o rnake coordinate ddecision s tha t wil l giv e airlin e customer s andshipper s mor e flight choices , more itinerar

y options , an drnor e fare s t o choos e fro mwhe n travelin g betwee n th e U.S . an dAsia . W e encourag e yo u t o approv e thi s join t applicatio n a s promptl y a s possible . Bes t regards . 

# z!^/-^ / By e Presiden t Lake Housto n Are aChambe r Leo n Brashier Chairman Lak e Housto n Are aChamber £ A J

11 0 WES T MAI N STREE T * HUMBLE , T X 7733 8 PHONE : (281 ) 446-212 8 * FAX ; (281 ) 446-748 3 www.lakehoustonareachamber.or g