U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretory 

of Transportation 

Assistant Secretary 

April 20, 2012 

The Honorable Marfa E. Melendez Altieri, DMD 

Mayor of Ponce 

P.O. Box 331709 

Ponce, PR 00733-1709 

Dear Mayor Melendez Altieri: 

OLt 

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

of JetBlue Aitways for beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington 

National Airport (DCA). JetBlue's application proposes to serve Luis Munoz Marin Airport, 

Puerto Rico, with one round trip per day from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to 

your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, 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 JetBlue's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Austin, Texas, 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 

round trip to San Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San 

Diego; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; 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 
March 15, 2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Gobierno de Puerto Rico 

Municipio Aut6nomo de Ponce 

Oficina cfe {a .JI_[caUesa 

RE: JetBiue Airways DCA-SJU Application, Docket DOT-OST-2012-0029 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

I write to express my support for the application by JetBJue Airways for slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport (DCA), to provide nonstop round trip service to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as 

submitted under Docket DOT-OST-2012-0029. JetBiue's plan to offer daily, round trip service will 

provide Puerto Rico with the nonstop access to our notion's capitol that we have long sought. 

JetBiue Is Puerto Rico's hometown low-fare airline. Since JetBiue's first flight in 2002, their nonstop, large 

jet service on the mainland has t!xpanded from JFK to Boston, Hartford, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, West 

Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonvllle, while in the Caribbean, their service has expanded to key 

markets in the region, including St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Maarten and Santo Domingo. JetBiue also 

partners with Cape Air for additional regional service connecting at San Juan. 

The level of direct service from San Juan to Washington has decreased over the years, while fares 

continue to rise. Presently, limited nonstop service from Puerto Rico is through either Baltimore Washington 

International Airport' or Washington Dulles, International Airport, both of which' are quite distant for 

travelers visiting downtown Washington or its federal government offices. The addition of this unique 

nonstop, a first of its kind, would provide travelers from the greater Washington area with a key 

connection to the Caribbean and benefit all visitors to and residents of Puerto Rico. 

I urge you to award JetBiue the slot exemptions necessary to provide the nonstop round trip service 

between Washington, DC and San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

i2.1~c)q~fh-l~ Marfa E. Melendez Altieri, DiD 

Mayor 

PO BOX 331709 Ponce, Puerto Rico 00733-1709 * Teletono (787)284-4141 * www.visitponce.com 

S10-120417-036