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Assistant Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation Office ofthe Secretary Lj ofTransportation 

### MAR 1 7 2010

The Honorable Ken Legler

. 

# . Texas House ofRepresentatives Pasadena, TX 77504 DearMr. Legler: Thankyou foryour letter supporting the application for antitrust immunity filed by All Nippon Airways, United Air Lines, and Continental Airlines. The Secretary has asked that Irespondto your letterdirectly.

. As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe StarAlliance-are seeking antitrust immunity to 

### closely coordinate flights betweenthe United States and Asia. According to the application, the alliance partners planto launch ajoint venture for conveyance oftranspacific traffic. The application is administered in apublic docket, which ensures thatinterestedparties have the opportunityto comment. The U.S. DepartmentofTransportation (DOT) will evaluate the

. application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with areview ofthe recordto determine ifit is substantially complete. Decisions onthe application are made in consultation withthe U.S. Department ofJustice's Antitrust Divisionfollowing a thorough analysis of competitive factors. As this matteris now pending, Ihope you understand that Icannot comment onthe merits ofthe application. I can assure you, however, that DOT will givefull and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed in the docket. As is ournormal practice, I am placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2009-_as acontactoutside the record inthis matter. I appreciate your interestin this proceeding. Sincerelyyours,

usan L. 

### Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs&
,'1 

### S I0-1 00223-033 

# KEN LE.GLER
TEXASHOUSE 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 drivesjobs 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

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### S 1 0-100223-033 T 

# 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

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COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATiON. COMMITTEB ON HUMAN SERVICES Email: DISTRICTI44.LEGLER@HOUsE.STA'rll.Tx.uS • Online: WWW.HOUSE.Sl·ATE.TX.US