... 

U.S. Department Assistant Secretary 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary Lj of Transportation MAR 1 7 2010 

The Honorable Ken Legler . .

Texas House of Representatives 


Pasadena, TX 77504 


Dear Mr. Legler: 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application for antitrust immunity filed by All Nippon 

Airways, United Air Lines, and Continental Airlines. The Secretary has asked that I respond to 

your letter directly. . 

As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe Star Alliance-are seeking antitrust 

immunity to closely coordinate flights between the United States and Asia. According to the 

application, the alliance partners plan to launch a joint venture for conveyance oftranspacific 

traffic. 

The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the 

opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will evaluate the . 

application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review of the record to 

determine ifit is substantially complete. Decisions on the application are made in consultation 

with the U.S. Department ofJustice's Antitrust Division following a thorough analysis of 

competitive factors. As this matter is now pending, I hope you understand that I cannot 

comment on the merits of the application. I can assure you, however, that DOT will give full 

and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed in the docket. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2009-_ as a contact outside the record in this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this proceeding. 

Sincerely yours, 

usan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
& 


,'1 S I 0-1 00223-033 

KEN LE.GLER 

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

District 144 

ai,IwmiA_ • j 

January 27,2010 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

United States Department of Transporta"tion 

1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

I am writing in support of the Continental/United/All Nippon Airways 

joint application for antitrust immunity and approval for the three 

carriers to create the first ever joint airline venture between the U.S. 

and Asia. 

Last year, Continental's Trans-Atlantic antitrust immunity and joint 

venture application to join the Star Alliance was approved, given the 

consumer benefits it would provide. Continental's subsequent 

entrance into Star has enhanced competition among all three global 

alliances and, for instance, is the primary reason Continental has 

launched new non-stop service between Houston and Frankfurt, 

Germany and Edmonton, Canada. Continental also reinstated the 

Houston-Washington/Dulles market, which allows easy access for 

customers' to United's Dulles hub, a Star Alliance partner. 

Additionally. service from Newark/New York to Munich, Germany is 

scheduled to be added this year, giving the Houston area an easy 

one-stop connection. I am confident that approval of the Pacific 

application can also be helpfulto Continental in expanding its network 

in the Pacific region once economic conditions warrant. 

I firmly believe cooperation among airlines benefits air travel 

consumers, airline competition, and drives jobs and economic growth. 

With the recent U.S. - Japan open skies agreement, barriers to new 

air service between our region and points in Japan have been 

removed. ,Antitrust immunity will enable all three airlines to make 

coordinated decisions that will give airline customers and shippers 

COMMlTIEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION. CO:MM1ITEE ON HUMAN SERVICES 


Email: DISTRICTI44.LEGLElt@HoUSE.STATE.TX.us·Online:w.\.V\v.HOUSE.STATE.TX.US 

If- .." rfl. · ~ 

T S 1 0-100223-033 

KEN LEGLE,R 


TEXAS HOUSE OFREPRE$J1:NTATIVES 

District 144 

more flight choices,more itinerarY options, and more fares to choose 

from when,jra\(~ling between the U.S. and Asia. -' r~:':"" ;:',:,.,';, .-->- - ' 


" """.; ,~"·"""",·~:",>t""':, 

I encourage you to approve this joint application as promptly as 

possible. 

B~4~ Ken Legler 

State Representative, House District 144 

KUtwn 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATiON. COMMITTEB ON HUMAN SERVICES 


Email: DISTRICTI44.LEGLER@HOUsE.STA'rll.Tx.uS • Online: WWW.HOUSE.Sl·ATE.TX.US