'Jr . ATZSO" ' TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTO N D C 2059 0 Jun e 23 , 201 1 ' •rpiy.Tior ; ••••.- 1 • ] . u . J

•• ^ P U : 0 8

The Honorabl e Bruc e Brale y U . S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congressman Braley : Than k yo u fo r your lette r expressin g concer

n about th e impac t

tha t aDelta-U S Airway s slo t swa p a t Ronai dReaga

n Washingto n Nationa

f Airpor t an dLaGuardi aAirport

woul dhav e o

n route s to an

dfro mIowa . A s yo u know . Delt aConnectio n currentl y offer s on e nonsto p round-tri p lligh t dail y betwee n De s Moine s an dReaga n National . There ar

e connectin g Might

s fro mDc s Moines , Ceda

r Rapids/Iow aCity , Moline/Qua dCities , Dubuque , Waterloo , an dSiou x Cit

y to bot h Reaga n Nationa l an dLaGuardia , vi ahub s a

t Chicag o O'Hare , Cincinnati , Detroit , Milwaukee , an d Minneapolis/St . Paul . Southwestern fow aha s nonsto p andconnectin g flight s t o bot h airport s vi a Omaiia . Burlington , For

t Dodge , an dMason Cit

y receiv e subsidize dEssential Ai r Servic e flight s to hub s a

t Chicag o O'Har e an

dSt . Loui s (fro

mBurlington ) an dMinneapolis/St . Pau l (fro mFor t Dodg e an dMaso n City) , wher e passenger s ca

n pic k u p othe r flights . Deltaan dU S Airway s recentl y forwarde dane w applicatio n to th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n fo

r authority t o procee dwit

h aswa p transaction . Th e applicatio n i s no w unde r review , an dI ca n assur e yo u tha

t w e ar e givin g carefu

l consideratio n to th e potential impac t o f th e propose dtransactio n o n communitie s acros s the country . A s i t i s pending , 1 hop e yo

u understan dtha

t i a mno t abl e t o comment

furthe r o n th e substanc e o f

your letter . Ou r actio n o n thi s matte r

i s bein g administere dthrough apubli c docket , an da s i s ou r standar d practic e I a

mplacin g acop y o f

your lette r an dthi s respons e i

n th e docke t

a s acontac t

outsid e th e recor di n thi s matter . Fo r

you r reference , th e docket

number i s F A A 2010-0109 . 1 appreciate your

interes t i n thi s proceeding , pleas e fee l fre e to cal l me . o r assistance ,20236636? 5 LrnoOSTWaSSI O 0 2 3 5 1 0 p m

BRUC E L BRALE Y WATERLO O DISTOIO T OFFIC E i« T panwT , loMA iiieMKneB M ""ShjM^Sr " tttU& B a t BfittttHCttiafiU M OWEWOBTDtSTHIC T OFFIC E fm » (tn>US-M M ^ ' ^ a0iW,4liSL.Culi1 M hiip:#m>w.tauM.9»vAnr n VanllltlQton , fiCH 3051 5 nSITmittM * FwomvM W Ma y 24 , 201 1 DUBUQU E DISTRtC T OFFtC E lOOOIMiBn M Hi e Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave . S E Waahftigton . D C 2069 0 Pea rSecretar

y LaHood , Than k yo u foryou rongoin g effort s t o ensur e th e efftclency i accessibllif y an d safiet y o f ou raviatio n network . A s yo u conskle rth e reques t b y Delt a Ai rLInd s an d U S AfiWays Grou p t o swa p takeof f an d landin g rights i n Ne w Yor k an d WasNngton , I reques t tha t yo u provki e a state-by-stat e analysi s o f th e Impact o f thi s swa p befor e movin g fbrwar d wit h an y approval . M yforemos t concer n l a th e Impact thi s swa p wou M hav e o n route s t o an d from Iowa . \w m famine s an d th e Iow a buQines s communit y hav e lon g expresse d frustratio n wit h th e lac k

o f availabl e fligh t optkms . No t onl y doe s a lac k o f fligh t optfcm s Impact famil y travel , bu t I t als o ha s a direc t Impact o n tocal economie s dn d ou rabilit y t o brin g new , JolMireatin g industrie s t o th e state . Th e artalysi s o f thi s swa p shouk i no t b e performe d i n a vacuum . Th e mos t importan t facto rfo robnslderotki n i s th e Impact o n Amertea n traveier B an d Amertea n business . Reas e provkt e a state-by^tat e analysi s o f th e route s tha t wl H b e impacte d b y thi s 8W8p , shduk i I t b e approved . Than k yo u fo ryou rconskleratlo n o f m y reques t Sincerely , Bruc e Brale y