U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Larry Liston 

Colorado House of Representatives 

Denver, CO 80203 

Dear Mr. Liston: 

Assistant Secretary 

April 20, 2012 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

of Frontier Airlines for two beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington 

National Airport (DCA). Frontier's application proposes to serve Colorado Springs, Colorado 

with one round trip per day from DCA, with direct service beyond to San Diego, California. 

Secretary LaHood asked me to respond to your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of20 12, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received Frontier's application on March 12. Other timely applications were received from 

Air Canada, proposing one round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one 

round trip to Portland, Oregon and one round trip to San Diego; JetBlue Airlines, one round trip 

to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one round trip to Austin, Texas; Southwest Airlines, one round trip 

to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Country Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin 

America, Inc., two round trips to San Francisco. 

As the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 

The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
State Representative 

LARRY G. LISTON 

Colorado State Capitol 

200 East Colfax Avenue. Room 271 

Denver, Colorado 80203 

Capitol: 303-866-2965 

Cell; 719-649-9742 

E-mail: lnrry.liston.house@stnte.co. us 

COLORADO 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

March 26, 2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey A venue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

STATE CAPITOL. 

DENVER 

80203 

ChnirmiUl: 

Economic and Business 

Development Committee 

Member: 

State, Veterans. and Military 

Affairs Committee 

Re: Application of Frontier Airlines for Two Beyond-Perimeter Slot Exemptions for 

Washington National-Colorado Springs Nonstop Service (Docket DOT-OST-2012-0029) 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

For the past eight. years, I have had the distinct privilege of representing the citizens of north central 

Colorado Springs as the State Representative from House District 16. 

It has come to m:Y attention that Frontier Airlines has applied for two slot exemptions at the Ronald 

Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to provide non-stop service to the Colorado Springs Airport 

(COS). This bid will serve as a valued benefit for air passengers from the Colorado Springs area and 

beyond. 

A good number of residents in my district presently must make either a nearly two-hour drive to Denver 

International Airport (DIA) or pay the additional fare for a connecting flight to DIA. My district also is 

home to a number of retired military ~nd active military who usc commercial flights to destinations 

eastward. 

The establishment of non-stop service between COS and DCA would greatly enhance connectivity for the 

business and travel communities, and promote a level of competition that is not currently in the market. 

I greatly encourage you to approve Frontier's application for the two slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport. 

RR;Il~~ 

LarryList~n- · fJ · 

S(ate Representative 

House District 16 

s 10-'120406-023