U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretory 

of Transportation 

Mr. James Rodriguez 

City Council Member, District I 

City of Houston 

PO Box 1562 

Houston, TX 77251 M 1562 

Dear Mr. Rodriguez: 

Assistant Secretary 

January 22, 2013 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

l...J 

0 

·U 

Thank you for your letter 1o Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

of Southwest Airlines (Southwest) for two withinMperimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to serve Houston's William P. Hobby 

Airpmt with one nonstop round trip per day from DCA. Secretary .LaHood asked that I respond 

t9 you on his behalf. 

\Ve received Southwest's application on December 5, 2012. Other timely applications were 

received from JetBlue Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Jacksonville International 

Airport, Florida, and from US Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Will Rogers World 

Airpo11 in Oklahoma City. 

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

However, I can assure you that all applications received by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation will be given due and careful consideration. 

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-OST-2000-7182. 

1 appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
COMMITTEES 

Chair 

- M/WBEandSmall--

Controctor Dcvclopmenr and 

Contrnct Compliance 

Member 

Budget nnd Fiscal Affairs 

Development and 

Regulatory Affairs 

Ettlicsand 

Council Governance 

F.looding and Drninage 

lntcmationnl Business' 

Initiatives 

Neighborhood Protcciion and 

Quality of Life 

Public Safety and Homeland 

Security 

soAnos 

Texas Municipal teague 

CONTACT 

Address 

P.O. Box 1562 

Houston. TX 77251-1562 

900 Bagby i st Floor 

Houston-, TX 77002 

Telephone 

Ph: 832.393.3011 

Fax: 832.393.3313 

Email 

Djstrjc!j@hOtistonLx.gov 

December 17,2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washjngton, DC 20590~00 1 

Re: Docket No. DOT ~OST -'2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

I am writing to express my support for Southwest Airlines' application for two 

slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). 

Southwest proposes to use this slot exemption to begin daily nonstop service 

ben.veen DCA and Willial1'i P. Hobby Airport. 

The Houston-DCA market is underserved and overpriced. As the Nation's 

largest low-cost airline, Southwest is well suited to provide significant 

~onsumer benefits in this important market. Since 1971, Southwest has a 

proven track record of lowering ticket prices and stinmlating passenger traffic 

in the markets it enters. 

New competition, lower airfares, and the use of Southwest's 143 seat aircraft 

is projected to attract tens-of-thousands of new passengers and generate 

millions of dollars of consumer benefits annually in the Houston-DCA 

market 

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I hope· you will give our 

application your utmost consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Jame odriguez 

Council Member, Distritt I 

J. '- :- •• 

·.- . · ... '.": 

.·