U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation The Honorable Donna Howard State ofTexas House ofRepresentatives P.O. Box 2910 Austin, Texas 78768-2910 Dear Representative Howard: Assistant Secretary

April 20, 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Thankyou for your letter to Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supporting the award of beyond-perimeter slotexemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to be used for nonstop service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas, Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to your letter. Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the U.S. DepartmentofTransportation will be awarding to new entrant orlimited incumbent carriers atotal ofeightslotexemptions at DCA, which would supportfour daily round trips. We received applications proposing to serve AUS from two carriers, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Each sought two slot exemptions, which would support one daily DCA-AUS round trip; JetBlue also applied for two slotexemptions to serve San Juan, Puerto Rico. 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 round trip to San Diego; FrontierAirlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San Diego; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San Francisco.
As the matter is still pending, Icannot comment on the merits ofthe 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 Department's action on this matter is being administered through apublic docket, which allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, Iam placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. Iappreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International AffairsMarch 20, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Mr. Secretary: 

## DONNA HOWARD STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 48

This letter is submitted in support ofestablishingnonstop servicebetween the Nation's capital from Ronald Reagan WashingtonNational Airport (DCA) to the Texas capital at AustinBergstrom Intemational Airport (AUS). Austin is the 14thlargest- and the third fastest-growing- city in the United States with an MSA population of 1.8 million. This is a 37 percentincrease since 2000. Moreover, this population is projected to reach 2million injustthree years. AUS has grown right along with the city, and safe, reliable nonstop air transportation will be vital to Austin's continued growth. Austin has been ranked as "America's No. 1BoomTown" by Forbes magazine and was named as one ofthe "Top 10 American Cities ofthe Future"byfDi Intelligence. · Austin's unique blend ofeasy-goingvibe and energetic capitalismhas attracted residents and visitors from across the country and around the world. While the SXSW and ACL musical festivals and other entertainment events draw an ever-increasing number ofleisurevisitors, the SXSW Interactive Conference and leading research institutions examinepressingissues of technology and public policythafalso attract and retain leading figures in business and academia. Consistent contributions to America's cultural, political, and intellectual lifebyAustin have helped many. Your award ofthe necessary slots for nonstop A US-DCA service will ensure these contributions continue. ...a Thank you for your consideration ofAustin during this process. Please do nothesitate to contact me at 512-463-0631 iflmayprovide any further assistance to you during this process. Sincerely, · ·

# ~7~ DonnaHoward

, TEXAS 78768-2910 • PHONE (512) 463·0631 • FAx (512) 463-0901 • DONN.·\.HOWARD(\!'HOUSE.STATE.Tx.us