- -.. 

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Hutchison: 

April16, 2012 

Thank you for y9ur letter supporting the application of Southwest Airlines for two beyondperimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest's 

application proposes to serve Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, texas, with one round trip 

per day from DCA. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, the 

U.S. Depa.rtment of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA? which would support four daily round trips. 

We received Southwest's application on March 12. Other timely applications were received 

from Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one 

round trip to .Portland, Oregon. and one roundwtrip to San Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip 

to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; JetBlue Airways~ one round trip to San Juan, 

Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin. Texas; Sun Country Airlines. one round trip to Las 

Vegas; and Virgin America, lnc., two round trips to San .FranciliiCO. 

As the matter is still pending, l cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will.be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 

The Dep~ent' s action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity · · mment. Following our al practice, lam 

placing a copy ofyour letter and this res in docket numbet DOT -2 029. 
The H®ot:able Ray LaHood 

Secretary 'OfTransport~tion 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 

1200 NewJetsey Avenue~ S.E. 

Washington~ DC 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

March 26, 2012 

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On March 12, 2011, the Department of Transportation (DOT) received seven applications 

from new entrant or limited ineumbentait cattiets at Ronald Reagan Washington Natinnal 

Airport(DC) for beyond-perimeter servjce. As a Senator from TeX'asand a strong advocate for 

increased competition, I am particularly interested and strongly supp'Qrlive ofthe Southwest 

Airlines' applicationto initiate the first ever daily; nonstop flight between Austin-Bergstrom 

I11,ternational.Attport (AUSJ and DCA. 

With a population of near 800,000, Austin now tanks as the 4th largest city in Texli5l~ 

A~~ording to data from the 201 0 Census, Austin gt'CW faster than any other mruot metropolitan 

area in the State over the ten year period. Austin•Bergstrom also saw record passengertrattie in 

201 1 With over 9tnillion travelers, and SauthwestAirlines rated as the top caJ:rier choiee for over 

one..:thitd of all passengers. 

I strongly urge DOT's favorable con~ideratipn of Sopthwe$t' s proposal. An award of two. 

slot exemptions for A US-DCA nonstop service by Southwest would. expand competition, 

capacity and service options atDCA, as well as inlprove.access and lower tick~tprice$. for 

. . .. . · .. conv:enient and ~ordab1etrayel9ptionsto ti fr9~ 

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