U.S.Deportment of Transportation Oftlce ofthe Secretary**ofTronsport~n**

The Honorable Matt HaU Mayor City ofCarlsbad 1200 Carbbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008-1949
Dear Mayor Hall: "'nril 11. 2012 ';!·:·! 7**';~.'V** 'JO r' 

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.. oThank you .foryour letter t() Secretary ofTransportation Ray**LaHood~** supportingthe application &fAlaska 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 1respond to your letter. Under.autbority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012t the 

### U.S. Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent carriers atotal ofeight 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** 13roposingone 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 tripsto San**Franci~co.** AS:the matter is still pending, l canoot e.omment on the merits ofthe points raised inyour letter. However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and fairconsideration and will be evaluated againstthe 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 ofyour letter and this response in docket 

### number DOT

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### 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 NewJersey 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 underthe law. In brief, the City of Carlsbad supports legislation thatfacilitates 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 staffrequire 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 benefitothers moving between thetwo**r~g~ons** including; business, conventi.on .and Jelsure travelers.

MATIHALl Mayor ",