U.S. Department otTransportation Office of lhe Secretary ofTransportation Assistant Secretary



### January 17, 2013

The HonorableT. Chereese Stewart Chairman, Clay County Florida 477 Houston Street Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 Dear Chairman Stewart: 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, SE ,'f\!ashu1glon, DC 20590

Thank you for your letterto Secretary ofTransportation Ray LaHood, supportingthe application ofJetBlueAirways 

### for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). JetBlue proposes to serveJacksonville International Airport

### with one nonstop round trip perday from DCA. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to you on his behalf. We received JetBiue's application on December5, 2012. Othertimely applications were received from SouthwestAirlines, proposing one nonstop round trip to Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, and from US Airways, proposing one nonstop round trip to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. As the matter is still pending, Icannot comment on the merits ofthe points raised in yourletter. However, I can assure you that all applications received by the U.S. Departmentof Transportation will be given due and careful consideration. The Department's action on this matter is being administeredthrough a public docket, which allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letterand this response in docket numberDOT-OST**~2000~**7182. Iappreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely yours,

Susan 

### L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

## CLAY COUNTY FLORIDA

Office ofthe County Manager P.O. Box1366 477 Houston Street Green Cove Springs, FL 

### 32043 Area Code: Phone: Fax: 904**284~6347** 269-6347 278-4731 County Manager Stephanie C. Kopelousos Commissioners: Wendell D. Davis District 1 Douglas P. Conkey District 2 Diane Hutchings District 3 T. Chereese Stewart District4 Ronnie E. Robinson District 5 Switchboard: G.CS (904) 284-6300 KH (352) 473-3711 KL (904) 533-2111 OP/MBG (904) 269-6300



### www.claycountygov.com December 18, 2012 The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 RE: JetBlue Airways DCA-JAX Application, Docket DOT-OST-2000-7182 Dear Secretary LaHood: Please accept this letter in support of the application by JetBiue Airways to provide service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Jacksonville International Airport, with continuing service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Clay County Florida is situated directly southwest ofthe City ofJacksonville, just 30 minutes of the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). Our residents, many ofwhom go to Washington for business and pleasure, rely on this airport as our primary airtravel hub. With only one carrier nowflying non-stop to Washington, JetBiue's offering of an additional option will provide our residents with choice, competitive fares, and additional connections to otherdestinations not served by Jacksonville. JetBiue's award-winning service and exceptional on-board experience, will be a welcome addition to this market. It is essential that business and leisure travelers in the fast growing northeast Florida region have a choice when flying to our nation's capital and I respectfully urge you to approve JetBlueforthis critical non-stop DCA-JAX route.



### T. Chereese Stewart Chairman



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