& us . Departmen t o f Assisran t Secretar y ' -"' . i-'._ ^ ,1^0 0 Ne w Jerse

y Avenue , S

E Trein$porfatto n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f m e Secretar

y • •-'' ' J : -" ^ I - U 2 o f Transportatio n 

### OCT 

### 2 5 

### 201 0 Mr . Robert

G . Lyon s Mr . Michae l J . Fure n ICAR D MERRIL L CULLI S TIM M FURE N & GINSBURG , P.A . 203 3 Mai n Street , Suit e 60 0 Sarasota , F L 3423 7 Dea r Mr . Lyon s an dMr . Furen : Than k yo u for you r tette r o f 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 dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretar y ha s aske dthat I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f 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 are 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 fo

r DCA - Kansa s Cit y service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma y 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 receivedatota l of fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

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

- o r 162-seat aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , t o continu e t o serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , with 99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s Cit y utilizin g 137-sea t 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 Tra n 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 currentl y unde r revie w b y th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understan dthat I caimo 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 full y conside r

al l of 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 . Rober t G . Lyon s an dMr . Michae l J . Fure n Pag e 2 A s i s ou r norma l 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

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I ca n provid e furthe r informatio n o r

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

^ lusa n L . Kurlan d MT^ssistan t

Secretar y for AWatio n an dInternationa l Affair sS!()-10l()l>n2 l 

# Ilk^ilCARDMERRIL L

ATTORNEY S A COUNSELOR S 203 3 Mai n Stree t Suite 600 Sarasota , R3423 7 941.366.8100 Fax ; 941.366.638 4 icardmerrill.co m Jame s E . Ake

r E . Dusty Ake r Charle s ] . Bartlet

t F^u l D . Beitlich G . Matthe w Brockwa

y Bmc e P. Chapnic k Andr^ K . R. Charbonneau Michael W . Cochran StatyDlllard-Spah n Mar k C . Dunga n Michael L . Foreman Michael I Fure n Arthu r D . Ginsbur g Steve n R , Greenber g F.TTioma s Hopkin s Thoma s F. Icard , Jr . Tod dD . Kapla

n JoAnnM . Koont z Jaso n A . Lessinge r Davi dM . Levir^

, LL.M . Rober t K . Lincol n Rober t G . Lyon s Ritrici aC . Meringe r Willia mW . Merrill , m Rober t E . Messick Tro y H.Myers , j r Alyss aM . Nohre n ] . Geoffre y Pflugne r Stephe n D . Ree s Stephe n Dougla s Rees , Jr . Lindsey A . Schneide r Jaim e L . Wallac e Joh n J . Waskom Richar dS . Webb , I

V October

6 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y H . LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Department

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S.E . Washington . D C 2059 0 RE : Docket 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 ) wjthin-perimete

r slot s bein g allocate db

y th e Departmen

t i n Docket OST-2000-718 2 t o provide nonstop servic e fromSarasot aBradento n Internationa l Aiipor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Sarasot aBradento n are aha s only on e daily nonsto p o n aregiona

l je t to Washington , DC . even thoug h 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 ari

d ou r prime locatio n a s aleisure destinatio n fo r tourists , SR

Q ca n certainl y suppor

t additiona l servic e an

di t woul db e agrea

t help t o th e touris mindustr y i n thi s region , whic h sufferedasignificant impac t fromth e B P oil spill . Thi s ne w 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 communit y an dth e airport . Whil e AirTran als o offer s a n alternativ e l o awar dth e rout e t o Southwes t Florid a International (RSW) , w e as k tha t th e slo t b e awarde dto Airtran conditione do n th e slo t bein g utilize dfo

r SRQ . I n additio n to enhancin g competitio n an dlowerin g fare s a

t Sarasota Bradento n International Aiipori , th e propose dservic e woul dincreas e connectivit y to destination s i

n th e Northeas t

an dMidwest , critical market s fo r ou r region. Than k yo u fo r your consideration . Sincerely , ICAlCDJ?lERRiL

L CULLI S TIM M FURE N & GINSBURG

, P.A . I JCo ^ G . Lyons , Pr^J^Ien t 1 Michael J . FurenrChairman Icard , Merrill , Cullis , TUnin , Furen & Ginsburg , PJ ^ - Establishe d195 3 Offices i n Sarasota , Manatee an

dCharlott e Countie s