CQ

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

.U.S. Department
. Assistant Secretary Washington, DC 20590 of TransportQtion Office of the Secretary ofTransportation

The Honorable Lee Fisher Lieutenant Governor ofOhio Columbus, OH 43215-6117 Dear Lieutenant Governor Fisher: Thank you for your letter cosigned by Governor Ted.Strickland supporting the application for antitrust immunity filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines. I am responding on behalfof the Secretary. As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe orieworld Alliance-are seeking antitrust immunitytocloselycoordinate flights between the United States and Asia. According to**th~** application, the alliance partners planto laimchajoint venture for transpacific traffic
.. The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) will evaluate the
. application according to rigorous statutory.standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to determine 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 in the docket. As is our normal practice, lamplacinga copyofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST.-20IO-0059asa contilctoutside the record in this matter. I appreciate your interest in this proceeding. An identicalletter

### has been sentto Governor Strickland. Sincerely yours,

Susan 

### L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and InternationalAffairs_ -_ .. .._._.---_._----------------------­

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE U.S. Department Assistant Secretary Washington, DC 20590 ofTransportation Office of the Secretory ofTransportation 

### JUN 1 0 

## 2010

The Honorable Ted Strickland Governor ofOhio Cohunbus,OH 43215-6117 Dear Governor Strickland: Thank youfor your letter cosigned byLieutenant Governor Lee Fisher supporting the application for antitrust immunity filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines. I am responding onbehalf ofthe Secretary. As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe oneworld Alliance-.are seeking antitrust immunityto closely coordinate flights between the United States and Asia. According to the application, the alliance partners plan to. launch ajointventure for transpacific traffic. The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) will evaluate the application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to determine ifit is substantially complete. Decisions onthe application are made in consultation withthe U.S. Department ofJustice's Antitrust Division following a thorough analysis of competitive factors. As this matter is nowpending, I hope you understand that I cannot comment on the merits ofthe application. I can assure YOlf, however, that DOT will give full and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed inthe docket. As is our normal practice, I am placing a copyofyour 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. An identical letter has been sent to Lieutenant Governor Fisher. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

### S 10-100308-018

March 2, 2010

,The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary, U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590 

### Re:
.**DocketDOT·OST·201.0~_** 

### Dear 

### Mr. Secretary; We write to express our support for the application for antitrust immunity and the proposedjointbusiness agreement filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines. The proposed

. alliance between these two airlines is vital to compete effectively with the Star andSkyTeam

alliance. This 

### increased interaIliance competition will in tum 

### enhance the benefits ofthe 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 athorough review, we encourage the Departxnent ofTransportation toapprove this
. application as it would enable the alliance airlines to workclosely togetherto deliverhighly competitive air transportation services. Approval for an ANJAL alliance will have apositive

.impact on airtravel by offering customers more service, scheduling and pricing options, and will help to ensure that customers continue to benefit from having three competitive air alliances to choose from. We urge. you to quickly approve ,this 

### application. Sincerely,

# ~~ Ted Strickland Governor

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