U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office ofthecSeaetary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Scott Alevy 

PresidentlCEO 

San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce 

201 S. Magnolia Avenue 

Bl Cajon. CA 92020 

Dear Mr. Alevy: 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary ot Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

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

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

trip per day from DCA, Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the 

U.S. Department ofTrant;portation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

earners a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received Alaska's applicati.on, which also proposes one daily round trip to Portlandt Oregon, 

on .March 12. Other .timely applications were. received from Air Canada, proposing one round 

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

beyond to San Diego; JetBiue 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 Diego beyond; Sun 

Country Airlines, .one round tnP to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, lnc., two roUild trips to San 

Franci$00. 

As. the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your lettet. 

Howevert l can assure you that all applications t~ Depmtmentreceived will be given full and 

ftdr consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 
.. 

Page 2, Alevy 

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-20 12 .. 0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

lm1D~II111111~111 ' 

Sincerely yourst 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
• n~~r.__ 

CHAMBER 

20 l S. Magt1olia. Ave.. 

El C~tjon, GA 92020 

March 15, 2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re; tetterin support of Alaska's application·forSAN~DCA route; Docket No. DOT-QSl·2012~0029 

DearSecretary LaHood: 

The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce is fh~ oldesfand largest business affinity 

organization in the county east .of downtown San Diego, celebrating· our tOOth anniversary this year; 

We fully suppprt Alaska Airlines' application to prpvh:le scheduled air~el"iice betyteeo·Sa.n 

Diego and Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). 

San Diego is .the largest region withoutregu!ar serviGe to DCA. A number ofour over850 member 

companies make regular trips to· interact with our legislative representatives and the government 

agencies With whom they work on a regularbasis. It is the lifebiMd of their commerce. 

Our region is a center ofDOD employment, both active duty military and. defense department 

contracting companies. One in every five. jobs in this county are DOD-related. If any marketplace 

needs direct service to DCA, it is the business community of SanDiego.County. With the most 

active-duty military personnel in the country engaged in the noble cause olna.tional defense, San 

Diego's significant Defense Department presence needs the:quicltaccess .to the Pentagon and 

other nearby agency offices that nonstop air service to DCA can provide. 

In addition, San Diego's average airfares are the highest ofwe~t coast cities, We are worthyqf a 

pair of the limited available slots. When one factors in taxi fares from Dulles to Washington's city 

center that average about $60 each way, travelets between WashingtorCs city centerand San 

Diego via Dulles can pay an average in excess of $400 one~way. 

San Diego's business community needs quick and convenrent access to Reagan National Airport. 

Alaska Airlines service would add a needed nonstop option for a primary gateway to Washington, 

DC. The $an Diego East County Chamber of Commerce joins with multiple organizations in 

support of Alaska Airlines' application forSan Diego~ DCAslots. 

We thank the Department of Transportation for the opportunity to comment on the referenced 

docket. We hope to hear of a favorable review of Alaska Airlines' San Diego- DCA proposal so.on. 

Sincerely, 

J'~~/~ Scou:~\7 President & CEO 

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