U.S. Department Assistant Secretary 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretory 

of Transportation 

Dr. Juan Andrade, Jt. 

President 

United States Hispanic Leadership Institute 

431 S. Dearbom Street) Suite 1203 

Chicago, IL 60605-1152 

Dear Dr. Andrade: 

January 18, 2013 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, OC 20590 

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

of SouthwestAlrlines (Southwest) for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

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

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

to you on his behalf. 

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

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

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

Airport 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. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yotn-s> 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

December 12, 2012 

Re: Docket DOT -OST -2000-7182 

As President of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), a Chicago-based national 

nonprofit organization with an executive office in Washington, DC, I am writing to respectfully 

convey my strong support for Southwest Airlines and its application for two slot exemptions at 

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which Southwest would use to begin daily 

nonstop service between DCA and Houston Hobby Airport (Hobby). Today there is no scheduled 

air service between DCA and Hobby. 

USHLI is a member of a coalition of 30 national and regional policy advocacy organizations 

representing the Latino community and serving most of its 50 million people. Coalition members 

utilize DCA frequently to meet our travel needs. And, as part of a 16-member association of 

national organizations that focus on corporate responsibility, USHLI and our association members 

that frequently utilize DCA have endured inadequate travel options and high ticket prices for years. 

Basically the Houston-DCA market is underserved and overpriced. As the nation's largest low-cost 

airline, Southwest is in position to provide significant consumer benefits in this important market. 

Since 1971 Southwest has engendered the highest degree of consumer confidence for consistently 

lowering ticket prices and stimulating more passenger traffic in the markets it enters. 

Offering more competition, lower airfares and the use of a 143-seat aircraft, Southwest's proposed 

service is projected to attract tens-of-thousands of new passengers and generate millions of dollars in 

consumer benefits annually in the DCA-Houston market. And business and leisure travelers would 

also benefit if Southwest is able to bring low-fare competition to the Houston-DCA market. 

For these reasons, I respectfully urge the Department of Transportation to approve the application by 

Southwest Airlines for two slot exemptions at DCA in the above-referenced proceeding. 

Sincerely, 

~~(.,(~ 

Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr 

President 

431 S. Dearborn St. • Suite 1203 • Chicago, IL 60605-1152 

Phone 312-427-8683 • Fax 312-427-5183