# © : • ' Tif C I T r- : ULS . Departmen t o f Assistan t Secrefar y' ^ ' 120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , SE TVnnspOrtaHo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f fh e Secretar

y. 1 \- n Z o f Transportatio n 

### OCT

### 2 5 201 0 Mrs . Mar y J . Newto n 522 4 Eastcheste r

Driv e Sarasota , FL34234-271 0 Dea r Mrs . Newton : Than k yo u for you r lette r o f Octobe r 8 t o Secretar y LaHoo dsupportin g AirTra n Airways , Inc . (AirTran ) t o serv e Sarasota , Florida , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t Ronal dReaga n Washingto n National Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s askedtha t I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s tha t

ar e currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s fo

r DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s may b e use dt o serv e an y mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi n (he 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , with129

- o r 162-seat aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , with99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City utilizin g 137-seat aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76

- o r 86-seat regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Ai r Tra n Airways , Inc. , to serv e eithe r Fort Myers o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117-o r 137-seat aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s currentl y unde r revie w b y th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s of

th e proposals . I assur e you , however , that th e Departmen t

wil l fully conside r

al l of th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .Mis . Mary J . Newto n

Pae e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I amplacin g acop y of you r lette r an dm y respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I can provid e further informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me .

/^ySusa n L . Kurlan d 1 / Assistan t

Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s>-•^)(^' )

522 4 Eastcheste r

Driv e Sarasota , F L34234-271 0 Octobe r 8,201 0

Tb € Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f

Transportatio n U.S . Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S . E . Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Dear Secretary LaHood : Thi s i s regardin g Docke t OST-2000-7182 . Ou r Sarasot aaiipor t

i s on e o f th e pretties t

one s I'v e eve r

travele dthrough . V

malway s tu^p y t o com e hom e t o it s sparklin g waterfall . Tourist s mus t

b e relieve ddia t

tw o hotel s ar e acros s th e street , an dtha t th e mau i roa dt o dowmow n leadin g t o th e bridg e t o th e beache s i s a t th e first traffi c light . Yo u mus t

b e quit e awar e tha t

w e hav e man y hotels , condo s an dvacationer-fiiendl y shoppin g area s u p an ddow n th e Gulf . But , i f they'r e ver y time-constrained , the y ca n boo k ahote l acros s fro mth e aiipor t an dactuall y se e th e entranc e t o th e Joh n an dMabe l Ringlin g Museum s o f Art , Circu s an dthei r

majesti c mansio n o n Sarasot aBay . Righ t

nex t t o i t i s th e Asol o liv e Theate r complex , an dth e campu s o f th e honor s colleg e o f Florida , Ne w College , We' dlov e t o hav e mor e flights i n an dou t o f ou r beautiful , cultural . Gulf-sid e city ! Ou r citizen s ar e very cosmopolita n an dwoul dwelcom e mor e flights i n an dou t o f ou r convenientl y locate dan duser friendly airport . Sincerely , (Mrs. ) Mai y J . Newto n