SlO-101103-01 8

aS.Departmento f Assistan t Secretar y ' 20 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Trtinsportatlo n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o 1 th e Secretar

y ^ o t Transportatio n Novembe r 8, 201 0

Mr. Rober t P . Bart z Presiden t Manatee Chambe

r o f Commerc e P.O . Box 32 1 Brademon.l^ L 34206-032 1 Dea r Mr . Bartz : Than k yo u fo r you r letter o f Octobe r 6 to Secretar

y LaHoo dsupportin g AirTra n Airways , Inc . (AicTran) to serv e Sarasota , Florida , i n the ongoin g slot-exemptio n proceedin g a t RonaldReaga

n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t (DCA) . Th e Secretar

y ha s aske dtha

t 1 respon dt o you r lette r directly . As yo u know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n commence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocate tw o DC

A slo t exemption s tha

t ar e currentl y hel

db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic ) a

s aresul t o f its acquisitio n o

f Midwes t Airlines . Republi c ha s bee n usin g thes e tw o slo t

exemption s fo

r DC A - Kansas Cit

y service . Thes e slo t exemption s ma

y b e usedto serv e an

y mediu mhu b o r smalle r airpor t within the 1,250

- mil e perimete

r o f DCA . We hav e receive datota

l o f five proposals , briefl

y outline dbelow :

• Sun Countr

y to serv e Lansing , Michigan , wit h 129

- o r 162-sea t aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , to continu e to serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , wit

h 99-sea t regiona l je t aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. ; t

o serv e Kansa s Cit

y utilizin g 137-sea

t aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , to serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76

- o r 86-sea t regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o

n th e season ; an

d • Ai r Tra n Airways , Inc. , to serv e eithe r For t Myer s o r Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eitlie r 117

- o r 137-sea t aircraft . A s the slot exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s cuirentl y unde

r review b y the Depaitment , I a

msur e yo u understanddia

t I cannot con:unen t o n th e merit s o

f th e proposals , I assure you , however , tha t th e Departmen

t wil l full y conside r al l o f th e proposals , an

dmak e it s awar dbasedo n the selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .510-101103-01 8

Mr . Robe n P . Bavt

z Pag e 2 A s i s ou r norma l practice , 1 a

mplacin g acopy of

you r letter an dm y respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2000-718 2 a

s acontact outside the recor

do f thi s proceeding . I

f J ca n piQvid e furthe r informatio n o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours , Susa n L . Kurland Assistant Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

dInternationa

l Affair sSlO-101103-01 8 

# Manate e CHAMBE Ro f COMMERCE Strenglhenin g You rBusines s en d Ou rCommunit y Nationa l Chambe ro f th e Yea r Three-Tim e Winne rFlorid a Chambe ro f m e Yea r Octobe r 6 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y H . LaHoo d Secretary of

Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

of Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : Docke t

OST-2000-718 2 Dear Secretar y LaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou r suppor t for th e applicatio n of

AirTra n Airway s Inc . fo r th e tw o availabl e Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA ) within-perimete r slot s bein g allocate db y th e Departmen t i n Docke t

OST-2000-718 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fro m Sarasot aBradento n Internationa l Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Sarasot aBradento n are aha s onl y on e dail y nonsto p o n aregiona l je t t o Washington , DC , eve n thoug h i t

i s th e sixt h larges t

destinatio n marke t

fro mthi s area . Wit h ove r 750,00 0 resident s an dou r

prim e locatio n a s aleisur e destinatio n fo r tourists , SR Q ca n certainl y suppor t additiona l servic e an di t woul db e agrea t

hel p c o th e touris mindustr y i n thi s region , whic h suffere dasignifican t impac t fro mth e B P oi l spill . Thi s ne w servic e woul dals o mitigat e th e negativ e economi c impac t th e recessio n ha s ha do n th e communit y an dth e airport . Whil e AirTra n als o offer s a n altemfltiv e t o awar dth e rout e t o Southwes t Florid aInternationa l (RSW) , w e as k

tha t th e slo t b e awarde dt o Airtra n conditione do n th e slo t b e utilize dfor

SRQ . I n additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an dlowerin g fare s a t Sarasot aBradento n Internationa l Airport , th e propose dservic e woul dincreas e connectivit y t o destination s i n th e Northeas t an dMidwest , critica l market s fo r ou r region . Than k yo u fo r you r consideration .

Rober t P . Bartz/ ^ Presiden t PO . Box321,erademcin . r- L 5420&-P.12 1 . (y4])'-^«-3-t l 1 • Faj^ : W U 74J-1H7 7 • w-wwNtanjiceChamber.cy m. E-Nbil : 111fo@Mana1eeCh3111bcr.co m JiradenlonOjfitc.ll l lOihSuce i Wesi . Bradenion , F L 3420 5 • tiif.ruWi J Riini h 0//iii : fi( f/i f AJtCfuf f Cfriifi : 421 5 Concfp i Court . Ukcwco dRanch , F L 3421 1 ACCREDITE D