Assistant Secretary 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE U.S. Department Washington, DC 20590 of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary APR 0,2 2010 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Glenn Coffee 

President Pro Tempore 

Oklahoma State Senate 

Oklahoma City, OK 73105 

Dear Senator Coffee: 

Thank: you for your letter ofMarch 8 supporting the application for antitrust immunity filed by 

"'American Airlines and Japan Airlines. I am responding on behalf of Secretary LaHood. 

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 a joint venture for conveyance oftranspacific 


traffic. 


The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the 

opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will evaluate the 

application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to 

detennine 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 

competitive factors. As this matter is now pending, I hope you understand that I cannot ' 

comment on the merits ofthe application. I can assure you, however, that DOT will give full 

and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed inthe docket. 

As is our nonnal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2010-0059 as a contact outside the record in this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this proceeding. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 


Assistant Secretary 


for Aviation and International Affairs 

SI0-J00323-016 


®kla4nma ~tat.e ~£uat:e Glenn Coffee 

President Pro Tempore 

March 8; 2010 

The Honorable Raymond H. Lahood 

Secretary, u.s. Dl?pt. of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washil'lgton, DC 20590 

Docket ooT-OST-201O...... 

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

Thank you for the opportunity to express my'~upp6rt for'i:h~'apprkation for antitrust 

immunity and proposed joint business agreement filed by Am~ri~an Airlines and Japan AirUnes. 

The proposed alliance between these two airlines is vital for the onewCitld alliance to compete 

effectively with the Star and SkyTeam aHiances. Thisi'ricreased alliance competition willin 

tum enhance the benefits of the Department's Open Skies policy- first by solidifying U.S. ­

Japan Open Skies, then by serving as a foundation for further liberalization across Asia. 

After a thorough review I encourage the Department of Transportation to approve this 

application as it would enable these oneworld alliance airlines to work closely together to 

deliverhighly competitive air transportation services. Approval for ANJAL alliance will have a 

positive impact on air travel by offering customers more service, scheduling and pricing options 

and will help to ensure that customers continue tobenefit from competition afforded by three 

competitive air alliances. 

I urge you to quickly approve this application. 

Am 422 State Capitol *Oklahoma City, OK 7$106-4608· (405) 521-5536· FAX: (405) 530-2304· a-mail: colfee@oI<senat&.gov