Docket DOT-OST-2010-0018

Index of Support Letters

Seattle-Haneda

1. Metropolitan King County Council

2. Mayor, City of Bellevue

3. Washington State Department of Commerce

4. Spokane International Airport

5. Japan-America Society of the State of Washington

6. Micron Technology

P.O. Box 1209

Seattle, WA 98111-1209 

 

Tel: (206)787-3000 

Fax: (206) 787-3252 

www.portseattle.org
Metropolitan King County Council

King County Courthouse

516 Third Avenue, Room 1200

Seattle, WA 98104-3272

206-296-1000 TTY 206-296-1024

Toll Free: 1-800-325-6165

www.kingcounty.gov/council

January 30, 2015

Anthony Foxx

Secretary

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Foxx:

We wish to request that the U.S. Department of Transportation allow Seattle-Tacoma 

International (Sea-Tac) Airport to keep its only direct flight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, 

Japan. 

The Department is considering a request to reallocate Seattle’s service to Haneda to 

another U.S. city (Docket-DOT-OST-2010-0018). It would be contrary to public interest to 

move Washington State’s only direct flight to Haneda to another city which already 

enjoys the valuable Haneda service.

Sea-Tac Airport is the fastest growing airport on the West Coast, reflecting the Puget 

Sound region’s rapid business expansion. King County has a long and distinguished 

history with Japan as a key trading partner, and Tokyo remains Seattle’s top 

international destination. 

The Seattle and Tacoma ports together form the nation’s 3rd largest marine cargo load 

center, driven by trade with Asia. Sea-Tac Airport is also a major air-cargo hub for our 

region. Our region is home to eight Fortune 500 companies from a wide range of 

industries including aerospace, technology, retail, and e-commerce, as well as a 

number of travel-related businesses.
The number of domestic and international flights will continue to increase to Seattle 

because of the city’s diverse corporate base, strong economy, favorable geography, 

and focus on international trade. Our flight to Haneda will continue to benefit from the 

increased flight traffic to Seattle and is critical to our efforts to expand trade between 

Seattle and Asia. Delta is committed to making this flight a success year-round.

In 2013, the Department rightly believed that the best of use of this slot was Seattle 

because it would provide the first nonstop Haneda service on a significant mainland 

U.S.-Tokyo route that lacked service to that city. The Haneda connection also provides

a number of western cities with their first one-stop connection opportunity to Haneda. 

Other cities or states requesting the Haneda slot already have multiple direct flights to 

Haneda. 

We urge the Department to allow Washington State to keep its only direct service to 

Haneda from Sea-Tac Airport. 

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. 

Sincerely, 

Larry Phillips, Chair

King County Council, District Four

Jane Hague, Vice Chair

King County Council, District Six

Rod Dembowski, Councilmember

King County Council, District One




y 

, 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx

Secretary

United States Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590Re: Delta Air Lines Seattle-Tokyo Haneda Service (Docket DOT-OST-2010-0018)Dear Secretary Foxx:

We are writing to express our strong support of an affirmative decision regarding

Delta Air Lines’ retention of the right to operate its flight between Seattle-TacomaInternational Airport (Sea-Tac) and Tokyo Haneda airport.

There are a number of business and education connections to Japan throughout

the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene region. Examples include Colmac Coil and the

Mukogawa Women’s University. Tokyo is one of our top international origin and

destination markets. The gateway that Delta Air Lines has established to Asia at

Sea-Tac, along with the recent initiation of 5 non-stop flights per day fromSpokane International Airport to Sea-Tac, demonstrates the strongest possiblecommitment over any other air carrier to serving our market area of 1.5 million

people and supporting our community’s efforts to maintain and grow trade and

increase foreign direct investment with Japan.

A recently completed aerospace supply chain study for our region has determinedthat there are many Japanese companies that represent high potential
business recruitment targets for the Spokane region. If we are to be competitive

in establishing a value proposition to these companies, it is imperative for our

community that Delta Air Lines be granted authority to continue the Hanedaservice from Sea-Tac.

Sincerely,

Lawrence J. Kraute , A.A.E., AICP

Chief Executive Officer

cc: The Honorable Patty Murray

The Honorable Maria Cantwell

The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Susan Kurland, USDOT Asst. Secretary for Aviation & International Affairs

Ted J. Fick, Port of Seattle
3010 77th Ave SE, Suite 102, Mercer Island, WA 98040

(206) 374-0180 jassw@jassw.org

January 30, 2015

The Honorable Anthony Foxx

Secretary

United States Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

Re: Docket DOT-OST-2010-0018

Dear Secretary Foxx:

On behalf of the Japan-American Society of the State of Washington (JASSW), I am writing to express our desire 

that the Department of Transportation allow Seattle to keep its only nonstop flight to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. 

Founded in 1923, JASSW is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the United States, working to promote 

friendship and understanding between the people of Japan and the State of Washington. Our diverse membership

includes the Northwest’s largest corporations, all of whom have strong ties with Japan: The Boeing Company, 

Weyerhaeuser Corporation, Microsoft, and Starbucks, to name a few. JASSW also works to develop intercultural 

relations, for example through our Japan in Schools (JIS) program, which enlists volunteers to provide educational 

and cultural programs for the region’s youth. 

Because of our strong connection to Japan, we are very aware of the benefits and importance of Seattle’s Haneda 

flight to our local business community, many of whom have benefitted greatly from the ability to fly directly to 

Tokyo, without requiring the long journey to Narita, some 60 miles from Tokyo proper. 

Seattle and Washington State have long been an extremely important gateway between the U.S. and Japan, with 

strong ties dating back more than 100 years. We are privileged to have one of the few flights directly to Haneda, 

and I sincerely hope that you allow us to maintain this vital link.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Dale L. Watanabe

Executive Director

dwatanabe@jassw.org

cc: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs
Micron Technology, Inc.

8 0 0 0 S. Federal Way

P.O. Bo x 6

Boise, Idaho 83 7 0 7 - 00 0 6

Tel 20 8.3 6 8.4 00 0

Fa x 2 0 8.36 8.4 54 0

January 20, 2015

The Honorable Anthony Foxx

Secretary

United States Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

Re: Delta Air Lines Seattle-Tokyo Haneda Service

Docket DOT-OST-2010-0018

Dear Secretary Foxx:

On behalf of the Boise Airport I am writing to express our strong support for Delta Air Lines’ retaining

the right to operate its flight between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Tokyo's Haneda airport.

Seattle is by far our closest and most convenient gateway to Asia. The networks of Delta and other 

airlines serve a large number of connecting markets throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Boise,

and provide superior connections to important business markets in Asia. The strong hub operation that 

Delta has built in Seattle provides immense benefits to residents of the entire region, and the availability 

of one-stop service to Tokyo’s convenient, in-city airport is important to our community’s efforts to 

stimulate trade and travel with Japan. Allowing Delta to continue to operate this service would be a major 

benefit for our community and for the local corporations that have a strong market presence with Japan.

Seattle is a proven and successful gateway to Asia from Boise and I urge you to preserve our optimal 

connection to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport by allowing the Seattle flight to continue.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Michael Ziegler

Micron Technology, Inc. 

cc: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs