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## .RTMEN T O F ^"ORTATiG N USDeoartmen t Assistan t Secretaiy, . f-HRATO i r i 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue . S E w.a.u»<jpuimijii i V . . - Washington . D C 2059 0 O f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

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- 0 I o f Transportatio n 

### Septembe r 12 , 201 1 Mr . Sunil Mahtan

i Executiv e Vic e President Ovation Corporat

e Trave l Group 7 1 Fift h Avenu e New York , NY 1000 3 Dea r Mr . Mahtani : Than k you fo r your letter , expressin g suppor

t fo r apropose dagreemen t

b y whic h Delt aAi

r Line s wouldexchang e certai n slo t interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n National Airpor t fo r certai n U S Airway s slo t

interest s at

LaOuardi aAirport . Secretar y LaHoo dha s aske dtha

t I respon do n hi s behalf . Amon g othe r points , yo u urg e tha t

th e Department

allo w th e propose dtransactio n t o proceed , believin g tha

t aDelt ahu b a t

LaGuardi awoul dresul t

i n servic e t o ne w destinations , mor e frequent flights , additional cormections , andincrease s in servic e quality . You als o suppor t a divestitur e o f slot s t o lo w cos t

carrier s a s par

t o f th e transaction , providin g an additiona l assuranc e tha

t competitio n wil l remai n vibrant i n Ne w York . The Department' s actio n o n thi s matter i s bein g administere dthroug h apubli c docket , which wil l allo w all intereste dpartie s th e opportunit y t o comment . We wil l evaluate al l o f th e comment s tha t ar e filed , andthe n tak e appropriate action . Followin g our normal practice , I a

mplacin g a copy o f you r letter an dthi s respons e mth e docket . For your reference , th e docke t

numbe r i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matte r i s stil l pending , I hop e you understan dthat neither th e Secretar

y nor I ca n commen t o n th e merit s o f

th e point s raise din your

letter . W e appreciat

e your interes t i n thi s proceeding .

Sincerely yours ,

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistant Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

dInternationa

l Affair s

# OVATI'^ N Augus t 25,201 1 CORPORAT E TRAVE L Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : FAA-2010-010 9 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : O n behal f o f Ovatio n Trave l Group , Inc. , I a mwritin g i n support

o f th e propose dslo t

transactio n betwee n Delt aan dU S Airway s an dtli e FAA' s decisio n t o gran t th e propose dwaive r

relatin g t o th e transactio n wit

h conditions . On e o f m y responsibilitie s i s t o manag e th e corporat e trave l fo r Ovation . 1 believ e th e change s tha t woul doccu r

a s aresul t

o f th e transactio n i

n Ne w Yor

k woul dbenefi t

Ovatio n an dit s travelers . Base d o n m y understandin g o f

th e transaction , Delt aplan s t o creat e ahu b at LaGuardia . Thi s shoul dresul t i n servic e t o ne w destinations , mor e frequent servic e t o existin g destinations , additiona l connections , andincrease s in servic e quality . 1 als o understan dtha t Delt ai s replacin g U S Airways ' turbopro p servic e wit

h al l je t service . Thi s wil l no t

onl y improv e th e quality o f servic e bu t

I understan dshoul d als o resul t in areductio n in congestion . I understan dtha t

U S Airway s wil l b e exitin g som e route s ou t o f LaGuardi aa s aresul t

o f transferrin g slot s t o Delta . Give n th e ne w servic e tha t wil l b e provide db y Delt aan dexistin g servic e option s a t Newar k andJFK , however , I a

mno t concerne dabou t

an y los s o f

competitio n o r

tha t th e transactio n wil l allo w Delt at o rais e fares . In addition , I understan dtha t th e transactio n wil l resul t i n th e divestit ^ o f

slot s t o lo w cos t

carriers . Thi s shoul dprovid e an additiona l assuranc e tha t competitio n wil l remai n vibran t

i n Ne w York . Similarly , I understan dDelt aplan s t o scal e dow n som e it s operation s a t Washington-Reagan . However , th e combinatio n o f U S Airways ' expande dWashingto n service . Delta' s continue doperatio n o f notisto p servic e betwee n DC A an dit s hub s an dth e DCA-LaGuardi aShuttle , existin g servic e ' option s at Washirigtbh-Dulle s an dBWI,'an dincrease dLC C competitio n mad e possibl e b y th e . diveste dslots , resblVe s an y co'nc'eti i w e migh t otherwis e hav e "abou

t los s o f servic e if t Washington . A s th e 6" ' larges t

Trave l Managemen t

Compan y in th e US , w e se e thi s a s atremendou s benefi t t o ou r customer s bot

h fromaconvenienc e an dcos t standpoint . Th e transactio n wil l provid e significan t direc t benefit s t o oii r

clients . Fo r

exiinple , Delt awil l tiseth e LGA slots-t o buil dahub } whic h wiU;mak e i t possibl e for

ou r client s for

th e firist'time t o flynonstd p 6ilt'o f lA D tb LGA , and'als o connect ! a t LG A t o destiiiafibn s nort

h o f LGA , Suc

h a s Buffalo , Rochester , Albany , Pittsburgh ; Montrea l an dmany others . i urg e thi s FAAt dissu e afinal orde r consisten t

wit h it s decisio n t o gran t

th e propose dwaive r

relatin g t o th e transactio n wit

h condition s an dallo w th e transactio n t o procee dquickly . Sincerely , Suni l Mahtani ' Executiv e Vic e Presiden t cc : Delt aAi r

Lines , Inc . 7 1 FIFT H AVENUE . NE W YORK . N Y I000 3 WWW OVATIONTRAVEL.CO M unc i A- ^

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