S10-l(H)225-fl5 S 

# o US . Departmen t o f Thnsporfotlo n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Assrslan t Secrslary 120 0 New Jerse y Ave. . S. E WaBbinsioJ),g p 2059 0 MA R 1 2 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Sea

n T . Connaughto n Secretar y of Transportatio n o f

Virgini a Richmond , V

A 2321 9 Dea r Secretar y Connaughton ; u f o

- - • ; -•'j D O Than k yo u fo r your letter relatin g t o apropose d transactio n betwee n U S Airway s an d Delt aAi r Lines . A s par

t o f that transaction . Delt awoul d exchang e certai n slo t interest s a t

Ronal d Reaga

n Washington Nationa

l Airpor t (DCA ) fo r certai n U S Airway s slo t

interest s a

t LaGuardi aAirpor

t (LGA) . You r lette r expresse dstron g suppor

t fo r th e propose d transaction , notin g that i f i t WCT C approved ne w servic e fromDC A woul db e initiate d tha t woul d benefit

th e citizen s an d businesse s o f Norther n Virginia . You aske dtha

t th e Departmen

t giv e promp t

attentio n t o th e matter , s o fliat i f th e transactio n were approved , servic e coul d b e initiate d i n tim e fo r th e 201 0 pea

k trave l season . A s yo u ma y know , o n Februar

y 9,2010 . th e Federa

l Aviatio n Administratio n (FAA ) issue d a tentativ e determinatio n approvin g th e propose d transaction , bu t subjec t to certai n conditions . I

t tentatively foun

dtha t th e publi c interes t

woul d bes t

b e serve d i f

th e potentia

l har mcreate d b y th e increasedconcentratio n a

t th e airport s wer

e counterbalance d b

y affording ne w opportunitie s fo r competitio n b y ne

w entrant an dlimite d incumben

t carriers . Specifically , th e tentativ e finding woul drequir e divestiture o f

1 4 pair s o f

slo t interest s a

t DCA , an d 2 0 pair s o f

slo t interest s a t LGA , t o such carriers . Th e propose ddeterminatio n wa s publishe d i n th e Federa l Register o n Februar

y 1 8 (7 5 Fed . Reg . 7306) ^ wit h aclosin g dat e fo

r conunent s fromintereste d person s o f March 22.2010 . Afte

r receip t an drevie w o f

th e conMnents , w e wil l tak e suc h fiirthe

r actio n a s appropriate .I

f I ca n provide fiirther

informatio n or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fire e t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistant Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an d International Affair s ^-0^^ ;

A copy o f you r letter wil l b e place di n th e docket fo r th e proceedmg , '

. ,i >

# COMMONWEALT H o f VIRGINI A Offic e o f the Governo r Sea n T . Connaughto n Secretar y o f Transportacira

i Februar y 12,201 0 Th e Honorable RaymondH . LaHoo d U.S . Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E Washington , DC 2059 0 RE : Approva

l o f th e Propose dU S Airway s an d Deh aAir

Line s Slo t

Transactio n Dea r Mr . Secretary : I a mwritin g t o respectfiill y reques t a n immediat

e approva l of th e propose d slo t

swa p transactio n betwee n US Airway s an

dDelt aAi r

Line s announce d las t

year . O n Augus t 12,2009 , U S Airway s an d Delt aAi r Line s announce d apropose d transactio n tha t wouldtrad e departur e an darrival slot s allowin g U S Airway s an d Delt ato increas e thei r operation s t o an d fi-omRonaldReaga

n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t (DCA) an d LaGuardi aAirpor

t (LGA) , respectively . Thi s arrangemen

t wil l resul t

i n additiona

l direc t servic e fi-omDC A t

o eigh t new destinations , benefiting th e citizen s an

dbusinesse s o f

Norther n Virginia . Thi s transactio n wil l hel p brin g ne w opportunitie s fo r economi c growt

h an dcreate ne w job s i n Virginia . U S Airway s an dDelt aAi r

Line s ar e among Virginia' s mos t

value d carriers . Each airlin e serve s mor e citie s i n Virgini atha

n an y other airline . Furthermore , pursuin g thi s opportunit y i s consisten

t wit h th e airlin e industry' s messag e implorin g th e governmen t t o allo w i t

t o fix it s issue s throug h rationa l busines s decision s an

dself-hel p mechanisms . I t i s critica l tha t U S Airway s an

dDelt ab e permitte d to clos e thi s transactio n a s soo n a s possible . Th e carrier s ar

e facing a n approachin g deadlin e to mak e necessar y facility , scheduling , an d crew biddin g change s i n time fo r th e ne w service s t

o b e availabl e fo

r th e star t o f th e 201 0 summe

r pea k travel season . I look forwar dto afavorabl e reply . Sincerel y yours . SC:gh Sea n T . Connaughto n

PatrLc k Henry Buildin g * 111 1 Eas t Broa d Stree t • Richmond , Virgini a2321 9 • (804 ) 786-803 2 • TT Y (800 ) 828-112 0