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USwDaportmcntO f Assistan t Secretar y " 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E T^gnfportotlo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar y - • ^ ^ • " ' '' ^ O f Transportatio n 

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### 201 0 Mr . Michae l D . Well y Genera l Manage r Longboat Ke y Clu b & Resort P.O . Bo x 1500 0 Longboat Key , F L 3422 8 Dea r Mr . Welly : Than k yo u for you r lette r of Octobe r 6 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 dReagan Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s askedtha t 1 respon dto you r

lette r directly . A s you know , th e U.S . Departmen t of 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 for DC A - Kansa s Cit y 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 th e 1,250-mil e perimete r o f DCA . W e hav e receive datota l of fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , with 129

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

h 99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

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

- o r 86-sea t regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Ai r Tran Airways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r For t Myer s o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117

- o r 137-sea t aircraft . A s th e slo t

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

msur e yo u understan dthat 1 canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

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

wil l fully conside r

al l o f 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 .Mr . Michae l D . Well y

Pag e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice , I a mplacin g acop y o f 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

this 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 furthe r informatio n o r

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

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r iviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

i.' .

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Octob<.6,20l0 &KESOII T The Honorabl e Ray H . LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 1200 New Jereey Avenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : Docke t

OST-2000-718 2 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : W e are writin g t o expres s ou r suppor t fo r th e applicatio n o f

AirTra n Airway s Inc . fo

r th e tw o availabl e Ronal dReaga

n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t (DCA ) within-perimeter slot s bein g allocate db y th e Department i n Docket

OST-2000-718 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fromSarasot a Btadento n International Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . The Sarasot aBradento n are aha s onl y on e dail y nonsto p o n aregiona l je t t o Washington , DC , even though i

t i s th e sixt h larges t destinatio n marke t

fromthi s area . Wit

h ove r 750,00 0 resident s an dou r prim e locatio n a s aleisur e destinatio n fo r tourists , SR Q ca

n certainl y si^>por

t additiona l servic e an di t

woul db e agrea

t hel p t o th e touris mindustr y i n thi s region , whic h suffereda significan t impac t fromth e H

P oi l spill . Thi s new servic e woul dals o mitigat e th e negativ e economi c impac t

th e recessio n ha s hado n th e commurut y an dth e airport . Whil e AirTra

n als o offer s a

n alternativ e t o awardth e route t o Southwes t Florid aInternationa

l (RSW) , w e as k

tha t th e slo t b e awarde dt o Airtra

n conditione do n th e slo t

b e utilize dfo

r SRQ . b t additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an dlowerin g fare s a t Sarasot aBradento n Internationa l Airport , th e propose dservic e woul dincreas e connectivit y t o destination s i n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critical market s fo r ou r region . Than k you for your consideration .

Michael D . Welly Genera ] Manager Longboa t Ke y Clu b & Resort Telephone : 941.387.944 9 Fax : 941.587.955 9 CeU : 941.809.656 1 Email : Michael.Wellv@longboatkevclub.co m

P O Bo x 1500 0 • UOKCBOATKL Y * TLOMD A • 3422 8 • wwwLCNCBOATKircLUB.CO u • DiRtC T (941 ) 383-882 1 • FA X (941 ) 383-035 9