U.S. Deportment of 

Transportation 

Oftlce of the Secretary ofTronsport~n 

The Honorable Matt HaU 

Mayor 

City of Carlsbad 

1200 Carbbad Village Drive 

Carlsbad, CA 92008-1949 

Dear Mayor Hall: 

"'nril 11. 2012 ';!·:·! "r ~" ~~~) t. 

7 t ';~.'V 11'1, 1 .( 'JO ., , .. 

r' ,\ if ;rJ· .. 0° oThank you .for your letter t() Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood~ supporting the application 

&f Alaska Airlines, Inc .• for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washinston National Airport (DCA) to serve San Diego International Airport with one round 

trip pe.r day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that 1 respond to your letter. 

Under.autbority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012t the 

U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA. whieb would support four daily round trips. 

We received Al~ka 's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portland, Oregon, 

on March 12. Other timely applications were received from Ait Can~8t 13roposing one round 

trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Co.lorado Springs and 

bey<Jnd to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one .round trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round 

trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San .Olego beyond; Sun 

Ct>unlt)' Airlines. one ro~md trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San 

Franci~co. 

AS: the matter is still pending, l canoot e.omment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 
Page2, Hall 

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, .I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT .. 2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

III~IIDIIIMIII :"" - I' 

Sincerely yours. 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
Cit 

March 16,2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.s. De:p:artment~ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C • ..20590 

DearSecretarv La.Hood: 

The City of Carlsbad respectfully requests Alaska Airlines' SAN.:..otA application be,given 

full consideration allowed under the law. 

In brief, the City of Carlsbad supports legislation that facilitates economic development 

efforts and encourages busln~ssesto lpcateor remain In California. 

With the signing of a full.FAA authorization bill into law (P.L.l12·95),. sixteen new slot 

exemptions (eight round-trip flights) are permitted for beyond .. p.erirneter flytng out of 

RC)nald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Additional beyond-perimeter flights 

wm enhance competition at the airport and provide better fares and greater value for 

the traveling public. 

San Diego is the largest passenger market to Washingtop D.C. witho\Jt nonstop· service 

to Reagan National Airport. The San Diego r~glon a}so ranks as the largest primary 

census statistical area without service to the close .. in airport servin·g our nation's capital. 

In fact, the. San Diego region is larger than !three ·regions outside· the perimeter with 

·· ·cul\temt,nonstop.serJice to DCA. · ~-}~b:) ,::; ~~-\~~t,, , c ' , 'v,' ' \", , ' ", 

The San Diego region hosts the rnost.active-duty military personnel of any region in the 

country. As a re.s1.Ht ofthis robus~ de.fense presence1 .the region,s defense industries and 

active-duty staff require nonstop air serviCe to "the clos.est Washington airport to the 

Pentagon. An Alaska Airlines nonstop flight betwe~IJ San Diego and Washington Reagan 

National would also benefit others moving between the two r~g~ons including; business, 

conventi.on .and Jelsure travelers. 

MATIHALl 

Mayor 

",