U.S. Department Assistant Secretary 1200New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington. DC 20590 of Transportation 

### APR 092010 Office ofthe Secretary ofTransportation

The Honorable GavinNewsom Mayor ofSan Francisco San Francisco, CA 94102 Dear MayorNewsom: Thank: you for your letter to Secretary LaHood, supporting the application for antitrustimmunity filed by All NipponAirways, UnitedAirLines, and Continental Airlines. 1am responding on behalfofthe Secretary. As you may know, the**applicants~members** ofthe Star Alliance-are seeking antitrust immunity to closely coordinate flights between the United States and Asia. According to the

. application, the alliance partners plan to launch ajoint venture for conveyance oftranspacific



### traffic. The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the opportunity to comment. The U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) will evaluate the application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to determine ifit is substantially complete. Decisions onthe application are made inconsultation withthe U.S. DepartmentofJustice's Antitrust Division following a thorough analysis of competitive factors. As this matter is nowpending, 1hope you understand that I cannot comment onthe merits ofthe application. ·1 can assure you, however, that DOT willgive full and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed inthe docket. As·is our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket
. DOT-OST-2010-0059 as a contact outside the recordinthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this proceeding. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

### S I0-09123

### J-003
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 

### GAVIN NEWSOM SAN FRANCISCO



### December 21, 2009 The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary UnitedStates Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.B. Washington, D.C. 20590

.. DearSecretary laHood:

. . Wb a.r:ewriting to support the antitrust immunity (ATI) application flied by United 'Airlines, Continental and All NipponAirways (ANA) with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT approval is needed to ensure that the recently-initialed Open Skies aviation agreement between the governments ofthe United States and Japan takes effect in a timely manner. Open Skies with Japan is a major achievement that will produce significant benefits·for Consumers, competition and airline employees nationwide,but it is especially important to San Francisco and Northern California in light ofour extensive commercial, cultural, and family ties with Japan. In 

### addition to facilitating greater air service from the Bay Area to Japan generally, effectuating the new agreement will enable the first nonstop access to 

### Tokyo's convenient, closein Haneda Airport, a matter ofgreat importance to ourbusiness and leisure travelers. We applaud the outstanding and tenacious efforts ofyour Department to 

### secure an Open Skies aviation agreement with this exceedingly important economic partner. We look forward to approval of the ATI application so as 

### to effectuate the agreement and t\u1Jler the applicants' ability to deliver competitive flight schedules. fares, and the services that ourBayArea traveJers demand.
.

•**~** I . : 

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### cc:The Honorable Dianne Feinstein The Honorable Barbara Boxer 1 DR. CARLTONB.GOOD!;&TT PLACE. ROOM 200 SAN FRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA 94102 (416) .,4-8141 RI!CVCLlO PAP.R