<

c.
U.S. Deportment Assistant Secretary 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE of Transportation Washington. DC 20590 Office of the Secretary ofTransportation

The Honomble Frank R. Wolf U. S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Wolf: Thank you for your letterto Secretary LaHood, cosigned by your congressional colleagues, supporting the application for antitrustimmunity filed by All Nippon Airways, United Air Lines, and Continental AirHnes. 

## lam responding on oehalfofthe Secretary. As you may know. the**applican~s-menlbers** ofthe Star Alliance-are seeking antitrust immunity tocJoseJy coordinate flights between the United States and Asia. According to the application, the alliance partners plan to launch ajoint venture for transpacific trafflc. The application is administered ill a public**do~ket,** wbich ensul'esthat interest¢d parties have the opp()rtunityto comment. 

### The U.S.,[)epartment6fTransp6rtation (DOT) will evaluate the applica.tion according,to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a**revi~w** ofthe record to detennine ifit is 

### substantially complete. 

### DecisionsQn theappUcationare 

### ronde in Qonsultation 

### with tile U.s, 

### Department of

### Ju:stice'sAntitrust Division fonowingo. thorough analysis of 

### competitiveJactQts. As this 

### matter is**nowpertdin~,** I am 

### sure youundel'stand thatcthe D.epartment cftnnotcOmJUcnt on themeritsofthe applicatioll. loan 

### assure YQU, however, that DOT will give full 

### and fair consideration to the application as well as any commentsflled in. the docket. As is ournormalpractice, a copy of your letter and this 

### response have 

### been placed in Docket DOT,.08T-2010

..0059 

### as a contact outside there:cQrd 

### in this 

### nlatt¢r. We appreeiateyour 

### interest in this proceeding. A 

### similar letter has 

### been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter.

lr#Susan 

### L. Kurland 

## U. ,Assistant 

### Secretary for A

viadon and International AffftirsQ

U.S. Department Assistant Secretary 12.00 New Jersey AV£JtltJo, SE of Transportation Washington, DC 2Q590 Office of the Secretory oiTronsportotlon 

### APR 1 2 

### 2010

The Honorable 

### James P. Moran U. S. 

### House ofRepresentatives 

### Washington, DC 20515 DearCongressOlan Moran: Thank youfor 

### yottrletterto SecretaryLaHood. co

### signed**bYYQurqoqgressi~onaL** 

### colleagues, supporting 

### the applicl;ltion for antitrust!tnmunity filed by All Nippon,Airways. United 

### Air Lines, 

### and Continental'Airlines. I amresponding on behalfofthe 

### Secretary. As you may know.theapplicants,,-members 

### ofthe StarAlliance-are seeking antitrust 

### immunity to closelycoordinatetlights between the UnitedStatestlnd Asia. 

### According to the**appH~ation,** 

### thealliariceparttlers plan tola.unchajoint venture Iortranspacific 

### traffic. The application isadministere(lin a**p~lblicdQcket,which** 

### enSures tl1at interested parties ha.ve the opportunity 

### to comment:
.The U.S. 

### Department of

### Transportation (DOT) will 

### evaluate the application according to rigorous 

### statutory**standards~** beginning witba

### review ofthe 

### re.c.ord to determine ifllis 

### substantially complete. Decisions on the appliqationare made in consultation with tQe U.s. DepartmentofJustice's Antitrust DiVision following a 

### thorough anruysisof 

### competitive ractors. As this tnatteris nowpending, I am sure you understand that the DepartlnentcQ1lfiot 

### commenton tbemeqts oftheappUcatjon. I 

### can assure you, however, tbat DOT 

### WiUgive !Ulland fair consideration 

### to the 

### application as well as 

### any conunentsfiled in the docket. As is 

### our nOlma.}.

### practice, a copy of

### your letter and**thj~rellPon$e** 

### have been pl,aced 

### in**Do~ket** 

### D01'-Q$1'

..2010

..0059a$ 

## aCOlltact 

### ol.ltside thereeord in

### thIs matter. We appreciate your interest in 

### this proceeding. Asimilar letter has been 

### sent to 

### each cosigner 

### ofyour letter. 

### Shlccrely yours,



### .kt/Susan L. Kurland**O~ssistantSeoretary** for 

### . A viationand lntemational 

### Affairsc

U.S. Deportment Assistant Socrol!lry 1200 New Jetsey Avon,,",. SF: WashIng/on, PC 21)590 of Transportation Office of the Secretary of Tronsporfotion 

### APR 1 2 

### 2010
The Honorable Gerald E. Connolly 

### U. S. Hous.e ofRepresentatives**Washington~** DC 20515 Dear CongressrnanConnolly: Thank you for your JetteI' to Secretary LaHood,cosigned by your congressional colleagues, supporting the application for 

### antitrustirnmunity tiled by All Nippon**Airways~UnjtedAil\Ul\es,** 

### and Continental Aidines.Iam responding 

### on behalfof

### the Secretary. As you may**know~** the applicants-members oftheStarAUial1ce-are seeking**antitru~t** 

### immunity 

### to closely coordinatetligbts between the United States and Asia. According to the 

### application; theaUiance partners 

### plan to launch ajoint venture 

### for transpacific traffic. 

### The application is 

### administered it. apubUc docket, which 

### enSUres that 

### interested parties 

### have the· 

### opportunity to 

### comment. The 

### U.S. Department ofTransportatlon (DOT) will 

### evaluate the appliQation according to rigorous statu.toty standards, beginning with a review of

### the record to 

### determine ifit 

### is substmltially 

### complete. Decistons .011 

### the application 

### are made in consultation with the 

## u.s. Department ofJustice's Antitrust 

### Division following a thorough analysis of 

### competitive factors. As this mattel' is noWpendit'% I am 

### sure you 

### understand that 

### the Departmentcannol comment on 

### the merits ofthe sJ,plication. I can assure you,**howevef~** that

. 

### DOT wiUgivefuU and fair consideration 

### to the applicaUonas 

### weH as 

### any comments {Hedin the

. docket

. As isout**nonnalpractice~** a .copy ofyour lettefmld thisrespollse have been placed inOocket OOT-OST·20 1**O~0059as** a contact outside 

### the record in this matter. We appreciate yourinterest 

### ill this proceeding. A 

### similar letter haS 

### been sent to 

### eaell cosigner of

### YOLII·letter. 

### Sincerely yours,



### IA**~usaI1** 1.. Kurland 

# 1/' A••isl1mtSecretaty fur Aviation and Intentatiortal Affairs

# - S 10-100128-065 

## Cltnugrtss nf flJt lltuiftb .fafts mUliIJingtnn. 

### mGt 20515 January 22, 2010


### The Honorable Raymond H.' LaHood ' 'SeCretary ,

United States Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave SE Washington DC 20590 Dear Secretary LaHood: We: are Writing to express our strGng support for the antitrust immunity (ATI) application filed by United Airlines, Continental and AU Nippon Airways (ANA) with the U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT). DOT approval will enable these airlines to deliver the competitive flight schedules, fares and services consumers demand.

, ' '

, Your'Jeadershipin this 'matter wiUensure that the United States' realizes the benefits of the recent Open Skies aviation agreement betweenthe governments ofthe United States and Japan, which will not go into effect unless and until DOT grants the A TI request. Open Skies with Japan is an enonnous achievement and will produce significant benefits for consumers, competition and airline employees. Approval ofthis important application will maximize the benefits to the United States ofthe Open SkIes agreement with Japan by-providing travelers more airline seats, destinations,**rou~ngs.** schedules and prices. ' 

# In this 'challenging economic environment, our airlines need to'**p~~e** all opportuhlties to allow them and the communities they serve to stay competitive in an increasingly global ' marketplace. Approval ofthis application would allow these airlines to generate significant price and service benefits for consumers, help preserve and enhance service to communities throughout the United States, and compete more effectively with other international airlines and, 

### aHiances.

. ' .

'1 I), ,. • f

,. ..,", I ,# '.

t;<' '. ' • ," , i " ! ';1 t f ':**~.** _ L. IWe thank you for yout work to achieve the U.S

... JapanOpen Skies agreement look '

, forward to your approval**o~** the pending application. , "

### Since'~ely, , " 

# "!P)! I. 

# "

# <l'Ii2~**.JA~~(IIj"',-_ ~!u;** **9~** ,tank R. Wolf**"~**
, Member ofCongress " Member ofCongress '

PRINteD ON RECYQ.ED PAPER' ,