U.S.Departmentof Transportation Office of1heSecretary ofTransportafton The Honorable Eddie Rodriguez State ofTexas House ofRepresentatives P.O. Box 2910 Austin, Texas 78768-2910 DearRepresentative Rodriguez: Assistanl Secrcrary April 20, 2012 1200 NewJersey Ave

.. S E Washington. DC 20590

Thankyou for your letterto Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supporting the award of beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to be used for nonstop service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas. Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to your letter. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Actof2012, the U.S. Department ofTransportation will be awarding to new entrantorlimited incumbent carriers atotal ofeight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. We received applications proposing to serve AUS from two carriers, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Each soughttwo slot**~xemptions,** which would support one daily DCA-AUS round trip; JetBlue also applied for two slotexemptions to serve San Juan, Puerto Rico. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; AlaskaAirlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one round trip to San Diego; FrontierAirlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San Francisco. As the matter is still pending, Icannot comment on the merits ofthe points raised in your letter. However, Ican assure you that all applications the Departmentreceived will be given full and fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. The Department's action onthis matter is being administered through a public docket, which allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice; Iam placing a copy ofyour letterand this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. Iappreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

## TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 19, 2012 EDDIE RoDRIGUEz The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTranspmiation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 DearMr. Secretary: FIFTY-FIRST DISTRICT

This letteris submitted in suppmt ofnonstop servicebetween the Nation's capital from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to the Texas capital at AustinBergstrom International Airport (AUS). Austin is the 14th largest

- and the third fastest-growing- city in the United States with an MSA population of 1.8 million. This is a 37 increasepercent since 2000. Moreover, this population is projected to reach 2million injustthree years. AUS has grown right along with the city. Clean, safe, reliable nonstop airtransportation is vital to Austin's continued growth. Austinhas been ranked as "America's No. 1Boom Town" by Forbes magazine. Ithas been named as one ofthe "Top 10 American Cities of the Future" by fDi Intelligence. Austin's unique blend ofeasy-going vibe and energetic capitalism has attracted residents and visitors from across the country and around the world. While the SXSW and ACL musical festivals and other entertainment events draw an ever-increasing number of leisure visitors, the SXSW Interactive Conference and leading research institutions examine pressingissues oftechnology and public policythat also attract and retain leading fi&rures in business and academia. Consistent contributions to Ametica's cultural, political, and intellectual life by Austin have helped many. Your award ofthe necessary slots for nonstop AUS-DCA service will ensure these conttibutions continue. Thank you for your consideration ofAustin during this process. Please contactme ifI may provide any further assistance to you during this process. Sincerely,

Eddie Rodriguez

PosT 0l'!'ICE Box 2910 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78768-2910 512-463-0674