'Jr. ATZSO"' 

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON DC 20590 

June 23, 2011 

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The Honorable Bruce Braley 

U. S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Braley: 

Thank you for your letter expressing concern about the impact that a Delta-US Airways slot 

swap at Ronaid Reagan Washington Nationaf Airport and LaGuardia Airport would have on 

routes to and from Iowa. 

As you know. Delta Connection currently offers one nonstop round-trip llight daily between Des 

Moines and Reagan National. There are connecting Mights from Dcs Moines, Cedar 

Rapids/Iowa City, Moline/Quad Cities, Dubuque, Waterloo, and Sioux City to both Reagan 

National and LaGuardia, via hubs at Chicago O'Hare, Cincinnati, Detroit, Milwaukee, and 

Minneapolis/St. Paul. Southwestern fowa has nonstop and connecting flights to both airports via 

Omaiia. Burlington, Fort Dodge, and Mason City receive subsidized Essential Air Service 

flights to hubs at Chicago O'Hare and St. Louis (from Burlington) and Minneapolis/St. Paul 

(from Fort Dodge and Mason City), where passengers can pick up other flights. 

Delta and US Airways recently forwarded a new application to the U.S. Department of 

Transportation for authority to proceed with a swap transaction. The application is now under 

review, and I can assure you that we are giving careful consideration to the potential impact of 

the proposed transaction on communities across the country. As it is pending, 1 hope you 

understand that i am not able to comment further on the substance of your letter. 

Our action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, and as is our standard 

practice I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in the docket as a contact outside the 

record in this matter. For your reference, the docket number is FA A 2010-0109. 

1 appreciate your interest in this proceeding, 

please feel free to call me. 

or assistance, 
20236636?5 LrnoOSTWaSSIO 02 35 10 p m 

BRUCE L BRALEY WATERLOO DISTOIOT OFFICE 

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May 24, 2011 DUBUQUE DISTRtCT OFFtCE 

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Hie Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave. SE 

Waahftigton. DC 20690 

Pear Secretary LaHood, 

Thank you for your ongoing efforts to ensure the efftclencyi accessibllify and 

safiety of our aviation network. As you conskler the request by Delta Air LInds and US 

AfiWays Group to swap takeoff and landing rights in New York and WasNngton, I 

request that you provkie a state-by-state analysis of the Impact of this swap before 

moving fbrward with any approval. 

My foremost concern la the Impact this swap wouM have on routes to and from 

Iowa. \wm famines and the Iowa buQiness community have long expressed frustration 

with the lack of available flight optkms. Not only does a lack of flight optfcms Impact 

family travel, but It also has a direct Impact on tocal economies dnd our ability to bring 

new, JolMireating industries to the state. 

The artalysis of this swap shouki not be performed in a vacuum. The most 

important factor for obnslderotkin is the Impact on Amertean traveierB and Amertean 

business. Rease provkte a state-by^tate analysis of the routes that wlH be impacted by 

this 8W8p, shduki It be approved. Thank you for your conskleratlon of my request 

Sincerely, 

Bruce Braley