BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

2013/2014 U.S.-Brazil Combination Frequency

Allocation Proceeding

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)

)

)

)

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Docket DOT-OST-2013-0072

ANSWER OF THE ATLANTA PARTIES

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to:

Louis Miller, Aviation General Manager

City of Atlanta

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

6000 N. Terminal Pkwy 

Atrium, Suite 4000 

Atlanta, GA 30320

William Pate, President & CEO

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

233 Peachtree Street, NE 

Suite 1400 

Atlanta, GA 30303

Sam Williams, President

Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

235 Andrew Young International Blvd. NW 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

May 3, 2013
BEFORE THE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

2013/2014 U.S.-Brazil Combination Frequency

Allocation Proceeding

)

)

)

)

)

)

Docket DOT-OST-2013-0072

ANSWER OF THE ATLANTA PARTIES

The Atlanta Parties (including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce)

strongly support the application of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) to increase service 

between Atlanta and Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is the largest and most important market in 

South America, and Atlanta is the world’s largest airline hub. Additional service at 

Atlanta will not only benefit the Atlanta metro region, but will improve service and

competition throughout the United States, given the unparalleled convenience and 

number of flights offered by Delta at its largest hub.

Atlanta has already proven itself a successful gateway to Brazil, with daily 

nonstop service to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Atlanta’s recent $1.4 billion investment 

in a dedicated International Terminal further enhances Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta 

International Airport (“ATL”) and its ability to support an additional frequency to Sao 

Paulo. The International Terminal is a state-of –the- art facility with efficient baggage 

and security check processes and world-class retail, restaurants and business services. 
Answer of the Atlanta Parties

Page 2

ATL is an optimal gateway to connect Sao Paulo and Brazil to the entire United 

States. It is the world’s busiest airport, with 1,000 daily flights serving 150 destinations 

throughout the United States. Atlanta’s location in the Southeastern United States 

provides convenient, competitive, and non-circuitous Sao Paulo connections. The 

availability of new time of day coverage and increased capacity on this route will allow 

more passengers to take advantage of the Atlanta hub gateway. With just a single daily 

Sao Paulo flight, the potential of the Atlanta hub is underutilized. 

The strength of the Atlanta Gateway, backed by Delta’s extensive connecting 

complex at ATL, enables travelers and shippers across the country to enjoy important 

new travel options. Metro Atlanta is one of the top three distribution cities in the U.S. –

with 40 percent of North American manufacturing and distribution locations within 500 

miles of the city. Moreover, granting Delta a second Atlanta-Sao Paulo flight helps 

sustain airport and airline employment in Atlanta, and produces other economic ancillary 

benefits for Georgia and the Atlanta region. 

The Atlanta Parties also encourage the Department to promote competition 

between the carriers serving Brazil by selecting Delta to provide a second daily ATL 

flight. U.S.-Sao Paulo service is currently dominated by American Airlines. Granting

Delta’s request will not only create important service benefits for the traveling public but

will substantially improve the U.S.-Brazil competitive market structure. As Delta’s 

Application Supplement explains, Delta’s U.S.-Sao Paulo network is at a disadvantage to 

the four daily Miami-Sao Paulo flights operated by American, which will soon be 

combined with a fifth daily Charlotte-Sao Paulo flight operated by US Airways. New 

service at Atlanta will help close this competitive gap – and help to offset the reduction in 
Answer of the Atlanta Parties

Page 3

competitive options for scores of U.S. cities that will lose a one-stop competitive 

alternative as the result of the consolidation of the US Airways and American networks. 

Atlanta is ideally situated in the southeast region to provide vigorous intergateway

competition to the American/US Airways hubs at Miami and Charlotte.

WHEREFORE, The Atlanta Parties urge the Department to award a second 

Atlanta-Sao Paulo flight to Delta. 

 Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________

Louis Miller, Aviation General Manager

City of Atlanta

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International 

Airport

_________________________________

William Pate, President & CEO

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

__________________________________

Sam Williams, President

Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

A copy of the foregoing Application has been served this 3rd day of May, 2013, 

upon the following persons via email:

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com

Francis.Heil@aa.com 

Robert.Wirick@aa.com

howard.kass@usairways.com

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com

dan.weiss@united.com

thomas.bolling@united.com

paul.gretch@dot.gov

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov

brian.hedberg@dot.gov

brett.kruger@dot.gov

urskr@state.gov

joe.cambron@wcaa.us

brubinst@panynj.gov

louis.miller@atlanta-airport.com

info@airlineinfo.com