### S I0-100405-005 

# ,u.s.**p'ep'artm~'.mf** .. . Assistant Secretary 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE ,**·~-,-,()n~pnsp~a!jon_** . WashlnglOn, DC 20590 Office of the Secretary 

## ofTransportation May 20, 2010
Ihe Honorable Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon

. Governor ofMissouri. ' Jefferson Cit)', 

### MO 65102 Dear Governor Nixon: Thank you for your Ielitempf),March 12 and March 26to Secretary LaHood supporting the application for antitrust'iriununity filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines.· As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe oneworld 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 ajoint venture for transpacific traffic.
. The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the opportunity 

### to comment. The U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) will evaluate the application according to rigorous statutory standards, begitming with a review ofthe record to determitle 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**'c~ve** 

### fa,90rs. As this matter is nowpending, I'm sure you understand that the Department**~'~cannot** comment on the merits.ofthe application. I can assure you, however, that DOT will give 'full and fair consideration tothe application 3$ well as any comments filed 

### in the docket.



# ..

...**~ ~s**  isour normal practice, lam placing a copy ofyour lett.er and this response in Docket**_:DOT~OST-2010-0059** as a contact outside the record in this matter. I appreciate your interest in

. d. 'this proceeding
. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant**Secr~tary** for Aviation and International Affairs

### S I 0-1 003 19-013

GOVERNOR OFMISSOURI JEJ)'FEHSONGITY "" JERBMlABW.tJAYlN1XON P.O. Box 720 aoVllBNOB· 65102 (1573) 7151-32ee 

### March 12,2010

The Honorable Frank H. LaHood Secretary U

# is. Department ofTransportation 1200New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590 RE:**DocketDOT-OST-201~** 

### DearMr. Secretary:
. I write to encourage that you approve the pending application for antitrust immunity**o~** 

### United States-Japan operations filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines.'·· Approval ofthis application by the U.S. Department ofTransportation will enable these operat(,)rs to c(')ordinate flight schedqles, fares and services, and will facilitate more aggressive competition on routes between the U.S. and Japan. Notably, the SkyTeam Alliance accounts for29.9 percent of all U.S.:-Japan bookings, and Star 28 percent. In contrast,today American Airlines alone carriesjust 6.3 percent ofall U.S.-Japan passengers. Permitting American Airlines and JapanAirlines to more closely coordinate will add competitive heft to the oneworld alliance and is essential to effective implementation ofa new U.S.-Japan Open Skies agreement. I strongly urge you to approve the pending application.

www.governor.mo.gov, l 

### S 10-100405-005

GOYE11NOll OpMISSOURI**,JEI~l"EHSON** GITY J/!JlEMfAU W.(JAy'JNIXUN P.O,Box**7~O** O()VlmNOlt .'''' " (::S5102**(01::'~'** 701-1.1::1C:::
March 26. 201 0

The Honorable Raymond 

### H. LaHood Secretnry U.S. Department ofTransportation ] 200 New .Jersey Ave. SE Washington, DC 20590 Docket DOT·QST-2010,....-. 

### Dear Mr. Secretary: Thank you for the opportunity to express my,support 

### tbr the application for antitrust immunity and proposedjoint business agreement 

## fnietny A:fnkti£lUl.t\jrlines (AA) and Japan Airlines_(JAL). The proposed alliance betwcenthese two airlines is vital taloneworld to compete-effectively with the Star and SkyTeam alliance. This increased intcralliance competition will in ttml.

### enhance the benefits 

### ofthe Department's Open 

### Skies policy

- 

### first by solidifying U**.S.~JapanOpetl** SkiesJ then by serving as a 

### foundation for 

### further I 

### iberali;zation across Asia.

. ",**~** ," After a thorough review, I encourage the Department 

### ofTransportation to approve this application us it would cnuble these oneworld allirulce airlines to work closely together to deliver highly competitive ai.rtransportntion services. Approval for AAiJAL alliance \"till have a

. positive impact on air lrayel 

### by offering customers more service, scheduling and pricingoptions

and 

## win help to 

### ensure that CU$tomers continue to benefit from having three competitive air alliances to 

### choose from. I urge you to quickly approve this application.



### ,

# . .

# .. W\\w.gon:rJH ,r.mo.g()\·