*'HTrsdf > TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTO N D C 2059 0 Septembe r

09 , 201 1 .-;'-^RTMEN T O F

^ '^^'iS^ORWiO N •"••'^ T OPERATION S '••; ! ^::E' ^ l b A B : 0 1 Th e Honorabl e Mar

k R . Warner United State s Senate Washington , D C 2051 0 Dea r Senator Warner : Than k yo u fo r your letter , cosigne d b y you

r congressiona

l colleagues , expressin g you r concern s wit h apropose d agreement , whic h ha s sinc e bee n revised , b

y whic h Delt aAi r

Line s woul d exchang e certai n slo t

interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t fo r certai n U S Airway s slot interest s a t LaGuardi aAirport . Yo u expres s concern s tha

t i f tli e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n approve s th e agreement , flight s fromLaGuardi at o Roanok e Regiona l Airpor t coul d b e discontinued , a s wel l a s potentially othe r

flights t o othe r

communitie s i

n Virgini aan

d elsewhere . Yo

u als o note th e potentia l tha t suc h a n approval , couple d wit

h recen t consolidatio n i

n th e airlin e industry , coul d reduc e competitio n a

t affecte d airport s an

d creat e arippl e effect

o f reducin g trave l option s in man y Virgini acommunities . The Department' s actio n o n thi s matte r i s being administere d throug h apubli c docket , whic h allow s all intereste d partie s th e opportunit y t o comment . W

e will evaluat e al l o f

th e comment s w e receiv e befor

e takin g appropriate action . Followin g ou r norma l practice , 1 a

mplacin g acop

y o f you r lette r an d thi s respons e in th e docket . Fo r you r reference , th e docke t

numbe r i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matte r i s stil l pending , 1 hop e yo u understan d tha

t 1 canno t commen t o n the merit s o f

th e point s raise d i

n your letter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s proceeding . A simila r respons e ha s bep»sen t

t o eac h cosigne

r o f you r letter . I f I ca n provid e furthe

r informatio n or

assistance , plea K

fpe l free t o cal l me .TH E SECRETARY O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTON

. O.C . 2059 0 Septembe r

09 , 201 1

Th e Honorabl e Ji mWeb b Unite d State s Senate Washington , D C 2051 0 Dea r Senator Webb : Than k you fo r your letter , cosigne d b y you

r congressiona

l colleagues , expressin g your concern s wit h apropose d agreement , whic h ha s sinc e bee n revised , b

y whic h Delt aAi r

Line s woul d exchang e certai n slo t

interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t fo r certai n U S Airway s slot interest s a t LaGuardi aAirport . Yo u expres s concern s tha

t i f th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n approve s th e agreement , fliglits fro mLaGuardi at o Roanok

e Regiona l Airpor t coul d b e discontinued , a s wel l a s potentially other

flights t o othe r

communitie s i n Virgini aand elsewhere . Yo u als o not e th e potentia l tha t suc h a n approval , couple d wit

h recent consolidatio n i

n th e airlin e industry , coul d reduc e competitio n a

t affecte d airport s an

d create arippl e effect

o f reducin g trave l option s i

n man y Virgini acommunities . The Department' s actio n o n thi s matter i s bein g administere d throug h apubli c docket , which allow s all intereste d partie s th e opportunit y to comment . W

e wil l evaluat e al l o f

th e comment s w e receiv e befor

e takin g appropriat e action . Followin g ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy o f you r letter and thi s respons e i

n th e docket . Fo

r you r reference , th e docke t

numbe r i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matter i s stil l pending , I hop e yo

u understan d that

I carmot commen t o n th e merit s o f

th e point s raise d in your

letter . I appreciat e your interes t i n thi s proceeding . A simila r respons e ha^^e n sent

to eac h cosigne

r o f you r letter . I f I ca n provid e furtly^informatio n or assistance , jHe^ e fee

l free to cal l me .TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTO N D C 2059 0 Septembe r

09 , 201 1

Th e Honorabl e Bob Goodlatt e U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D

C 2051 5 Dea r Congressma

n Goodlatte : Than k yo u fo r your letter , cosigne d b

y you r congressiona

l colleagues , expressin g your concern s wit h apropose d agreement , whic h ha s sinc e bee n revised , b y whic h Delt aAi r Line s woul d exchang e certai n slo t

interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t fo r certai n U S Airway s slo t interest s a t LaGuardi aAirport . Yo u expres s concern s tha

t i f th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n approve s th e agreement , fliglits fro mLaGuardi at o Roanok

e Regiona l Airpor t coul d b e discontinued , a s well a s potentially other

flights t o othe r

communitie s i

n Virgini aan d elsewhere . Yo u als o not e th e potentia l tha t suc h a n approval , couple d wit

h recen t consolidatio n i n th e airlin e industry , coul d reduc e competitio n a

t affecte d airport s an

d creat e arippl e effect

o f reducin g trave l option s i

n man y Virgini acommunities . Th e Department' s actio n o n thi s matter i s bein g administere d throug h apubli c docket , which allow s all intereste d partie s th e opportunit y t o comment . W

e will evaluat e al l o f

th e comment s we receiv e befor

e takin g appropriat e action . Followin g ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy o f you r lette r and thi s respons e i

n di e docket . Fo

r you r reference , th e docke t

numbe r i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matte r i s stil l pending . 1 hop e yo u understan d tha

t I canno t commen t o n the merit s o f

th e point s raise d i

n your letter . 1 appreciat

e your interes t i n thi s procgedin o f your letter . If lea n provid e fuKner

i ^ A simila r respons e ha s bee n sent

t o eac h cosigne

r latio n o r assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to cal l me .J^^Smt< h TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N

%TESO«'' " WASHINGTO N D C 2059 0 Septembe r

09 , 201 1

Th e Honorabl e Rober

t Hur t U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congressma

n Hurt : Than k you fo r your letter , cosigne d b

y you r congressiona

l colleagues , expressin g you r concern s wit h apropose d agreement , whic h ha s sinc e bee n revised , b

y whic h Delt aAi r

Line s woul d exchang e certai n slo t

interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t fo r certai n US Airway s slo t interest s a t LaGuardi aAirport . Yo u expres s concern s tha

t i f th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n approve s th e agreement , flights fromLaGuardi ato Roanoke Regiona l Airpor t coul d b e discontinued , a s well a s potentially other

flights t o other

communitie s i

n Virgini aan d elsewhere . You als o not e th e potentia l tha t suc h a n approval , couple d wit

h recent consolidatio n i

n th e airlin e industry , coul d reduc e competitio n a

t affecte d airport s an

d creat e arippl e effect

o f reducin g trave l option s i

n man y Virgini acommunities . Th e Department' s actio n o n thi s matter i s bein g administere d throug h apubli c docket , which allow s all intereste d partie s th e opportunit y t o comment . W

e will evaluat e al l o f

th e comment s w e receiv e befor

e takin g appropriat e action . Followin g oiu

- nornia l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y of you r lette r an d thi s respons e i

n th e docket . Fo

r you r reference , th e docke t

number i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matter i s stil l pending , I hop e yo

u understan d tha

t I canno t commen t o n the merit s o f

th e point s raise d in your

letter . 1 appreciat

e your interes t i n thi s proceeding . A simila r respons e ha s bee n sen t

to eac h cosigne

r o f you r letter . If 1 ca n provid e furthe

r lyArmatio n or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to cal l me .TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTO N D C 2059 0 Septembe r

09 , 201 1

Th e Honorabl e H . Morga

n Griffit h U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congressma

n Griffith : Than k you fo r your letter , cosigne d b

y you r congressiona

l colleagues , expressin g your concern s wit h apropose d agreement , whic h ha s sinc e bee n revised , b

y whic h Delt aAi r

Line s woul d exchang e certai n slo t

interest s a

t Reaga n Washingto n Nationa

l Airpor t fo r certai n U S Airway s slot interest s a t LaGuardi aAirport . Yo u expres s concern s tha

t i f th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n approve s th e agreement , flights fro mLaGuardi ato Roanok

e Regiona l Airpor t coul d b e discontinued , a s wel l a s potentially other

flights t o othe r

communitie s i

n Virgini aan

d elsewhere . You als o not e the fwtentia l tha t suc h a n approval , couple d wit

h recen t consolidatio n in th e airlin e industry , coul d reduc e competitio n a

t affecte d airport s an

d creat e arippl e effec

t o f reducin g trave l option s i

n man y Virgini acommunities . Th e Department' s actio n o n thi s matte r i s bein g administere d throug h apubli c docket , which allow s all intereste d partie s th e opportunit y t o comment . W

e wil l evaluat e al l o f

th e comment s we receiv e befor

e takin g appropriat e action . Followin g our norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy o f you r lette r and thi s respons e i

n th e dbcket . Fo

r you r reference , th e docke t

number i s FA A 2010-0109 . A s th e matte r i s stil l pending , I hop e yo

u understan d tha

t 1 canno t commen t o n the merit s o f

th e point s raise d i

n your letter . 1 appreciat

e you r interes t in thisj^ceeding . A simila r respons e h

g of you r letter . If 1 ca n provid^urthe r

yjfonnatio n or

assistance, ^ ee n sen t

to eac h cosigne

r s e fee l fre e t o cal l me .

# Congres^ s o f ttj e Mnitt h Ma M OTiififjiiTston, B C 2051 0 Augus t 4,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Ave , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood , W e writ e toda y t o expres s ou

r concer n regardin g th e potentia

l impac t o n small communitie s o f

th e propose d "slot s svmp " agreemen t betwee n Delt aAi r Servic e an

d U S Airways , wher

e th e carrier s woul d exchang e slot s the y currently contro l a

t Ronal d Reaga

n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA) an d Ne w Yor

k LaGuardi aAirpor

t (LGA) . Th

e United State s Departmen

t o f Transportatio n (DOT ) recently gav e tentativ e ^prova l to thi s so-calle d "slot-swap, " th e effec

t o f whic h woul d expand th e presenc e o f Deltaa t LG A an d U S Airway s a

t DCA . It i s ou r understandin g tha

t i f th e DO T approve s thi s agreement , flight servic e fi^m Roanok e Regiona l Airpor t (ROA) , Charlottesvill e Albemarl e Airpor t (CHO) , an

d potentially othe r communitie s in th e regio n coul d b e eliminated . U S Airway s currently flies t o Ne w York

LaGuardi a(LGA) non-sto p fromRoanok e thre e time s pe

r day , a s i t ha s fo r man y years . Th

e slo t swa p a t LG A woul d giv e Delt ath e previously owne d slot s fromU S Airways . Delt aha s informe d th e Roanok

e Regiona l Airpor t tha t i t doe s no t pla n t o continu e it s New Yor

k servic e i f th e swa p i s approved . I

t i s ou r understandin g tha

t othe r communitie s i

n Virgini aan

d elsewher e coul d als o suffe

r asimila r outcome . Losing flight

operation s a

t Roanoke , Charlottesville , an d othe r communitie s would hav e detrimenta l economi c consequence s an d impact ou r constituents ' qualit

y o f life . Acces s t o New Yor k City , th e preeminent

financial cente

r in th e country , provide s avital one-sto p connectio n fo r the peopl e i n thes e Virgini acommunities , a s wel l a s fo r regiona l businesse s and majo

r universitie s tha

t rel y o n thi s ai r

service . Thi s direc t

lin k to Ne w Yor

k Cit y ha s proven vita

l t o the regiona l employmen

t base . Further , w e hav e stron g concern s tha t approva l o f th e propose d agreement , couple d wit h recen t consolidatio n i

n th e airlin e industry , could reduc e competitio n a t affected airport s an

d creat e arippl e effec

t of reducin g travelin g option s in man y Virgini acommunities . A s yo u

irii ' -''—-"'•'•^ 'S I 0- 1 10S()5-()() 5

review th e agreemen

t between Delt

aan d US Airways , we reques t

tha t step s b e taken to preserv e th e interest s o f

Roanoke , Charlottesville , an d othe r smalle r market s tha

t no w enjo y servic e to New York . Sincerely , 

# /l/l(jc^ U «»*t i Mar k R . Warne r United State s Senator

Bo b Goodlatt e MeiptJera f Congres s MemtJenj f

Rober t Hur t Membe r o f Congres s 

# (joJf

i tate s Senator

I . Morga n i Membe r o f Congres s