U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary · of Transportation 

Mr. Aaron Demerson 

Executive Director 

Ass1stanr Secretary 

April 23, 2012 

Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism 

P.O. Box 12428 

Austin, Texas 78711 · 

Dear Mr. Demerson: 

1200 New Jersey Ave .. S E 

Washington, DC 20590 

C:J 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the aWatd of 

beyond-perimeter slot exemptions 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 of 2012, the 

U.S. Department 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 applications proposing to serve AUS from two carriers, Southwest Airlines and 

JetBlue Airways. Each sought two slot exemptions, which WO'Uld support one daily DCA-AUS 

round trip; JetBlue also applied for two slot exemptions 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; Frontier Airlines, 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, I 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 Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
0F11 ICE OF THE GOVERNOR 

E coNo.M.rc D nv ELOPMENT & TouRISM 

RICK l'f\RRY 

CO\'ERNOR 

April2, 2012 

Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

I am writing this letter in support of the development of a non-stop route between Austin- Bergstrom International Airport 

(AUS) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). This new capitol-to-capitol route will help support travel 

and encourage greater business relationships between the two capitol cities. Travelers from Texas and the Washington D.C. 

area will benefit from increased competition and more efticient travel between the two capitols. 

As one ofthe country's leading travel and tourism destinations, Texas hosted more than 200 million travelers in 2010, with 

direct spending totaling $57.5 billion across the state. With 90% oftravel to Texas destinations coming from domestic 

markets, increasing the number of direct routes from major U.S., mt:;tropolitan areas sta,nds to only increase travel to the state. 

In 2010 the Austin area was visited by an estimated 18.2 million domestic visitors, with total direct spending totaling $4.5 

billion for the year. Austin is one of the state's top travel destinations due to its growing meeting and conventions market, 

hosting numerous international events like South by Southwest and Formula I, and having a large array of other attractions as 

the Live Music Capitol of the World. In addition to being a top domestic travel destination in the U.S., Austin is one of the 

nation's leading high-tech hubs and one of the top 10 metro areas for economic growth in the U.S. 

Austin and Washington D.C. are both growing technology hubs, with 'multiple Fortune 500 companies having operations in 

both Austin and Washington. As the technology industry grows in Austin, so will the corporate relationships, which will 

benefit from a greater freedom of choice, better pricing, and more efficient travel. 

I support the development of this non-stop route between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Austin to provide 

greater competition and more efficient travel between Washington D.C. and Texas. Thank you for your regard to this , .... 

important route development effort and you support of the addition of this key DCA-ADS route. 

Sincerely, 

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