U.S. Department Assistant Secretary 1200New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington. DC 20590 of Transportation 

APR 092010 Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Gavin Newsom 

Mayor ofSan Francisco 

San Francisco, CA 94102 

Dear Mayor Newsom: 

Thank: you for your letter to Secretary LaHood, supporting the application for antitrust immunity 

filed by All Nippon Airways, United AirLines, and Continental Airlines. 1 am responding on 

behalfofthe Secretary. 

As you may know, the applicants~members of the 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 a joint 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 of Transportation (DOT) will evaluate the 

application according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to 

determine ifit is substantially complete. Decisions on the application are made in consultation 

with the U.S. Department ofJustice's Antitrust Division following a thorough analysis of 

competitive factors. As this matter is now pending, 1 hope you understand that I cannot 

comment on the merits ofthe application. ·1 can assure you, however, that DOT will give full 

and fair consideration to the application as well as any comments filed in the docket. 

As· is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket . 

DOT-OST-2010-0059 as a contact outside the record in this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this proceeding. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 


Assistant Secretary for 


Aviation and International Affairs 

S I 0-09123 J-003 


OFFICE OF THE MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM 

SAN FRANCISCO 

December 21, 2009 

The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood 


Secretary 


United States Department ofTransportation 


1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.B. 


Washington, D.C. 20590 


.. DearSecretary laHood: 

. . Wb a.r:e writing 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 our business and leisure travelers. 

We applaud the outstanding and tenacious efforts of your Department to secure an Open 

Skies aviation agreement with this exceedingly important economic partner. We look forward to 

approval ofthe ATI application so as to effectuate the agreement and t\u1Jler the applicants' 

ability to deliver competitive flight schedules. fares, and the services that our Bay Area traveJers 

demand. . 

• ~ I . : . 

'I. :. 

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