# ....

u.s. Department Assistant Secretary 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 of Trcihsportati0r'l Officee>f the Secretary ofTranspbrtation
. 

## JUN 1 02010



# .. The Honorable Jim Gibbons

. Governor ofNevada
.

Carson City,NV89701 (Jl Dear Governor Gibbons: Thank you for your letter supporting the application for antitrust immunity filed by American Airlines and Japan Airlines. I am responding on behalfofthe Secretary. As you may know, the applicants-members ofthe oneworld 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 transpacific·traffic. The application is administered in a public docket, which ensures that interested parties have the opportunityto comment. The U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) will evaluate the

.applicatIon according to rigorous statutory standards, beginning with a review ofthe record to determine if

### it 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. Asthis matter is now pending, I hope.you understand that I cannot comment onthe merits ofthe application. I 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 normalpractice,I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST·2010-0059 asa contact outside the record in this matter. I appreciate your interest in' thisproceeding. Sincerely yours,

Susan 

### L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs:0;' .• 1.1110 OSlW85 310 02 13 46 Pili 03 

### S I0-1003 15-044

ONEHl1NDJW) OMi Noans CARSON STRI!F.T 555 EASI' WASltINOlON AVBNUI!. Sum! 5100 CARSON Cm, NEVADA 89701 LAs VEGAS, NEVADA '89101 OFflCIl! (775) 684·5670 OFficE: (70%) 486-2500 PAX No.: 

### ern> 6M.S683
. PAX No.: (702)486 ·2505 

# Ol)fftCt nftlJt Oinutrnnt JIM GIBBONS GOVfRNOR 

### March 11, 20.0


### TheHonorable Raymond 

### H. LaHood Secretary 

### U.S. Department ofTransportation**l~OO** 

### New 

### Jersey Ave., SB 

### Washington, DC 20590 Docket

### DOT.OSTw201(~ .••' ' Dear Secretary 

### LaHood: 

### Tbankyou for the opportunityto express 

### my support and approval ofthe 

### ,application for the antitrust immunity,1qld 

### proposedjoint 

### business agreement filed by 

### American Airlines and 

### Japan Airlil1es.
. The proposed'alliancebetween 

### tbese two 

### airlines is vital 

### for oneworld to 

### compete, o'trecliveJy with 

### the Star andSk)'ream 

### alliance. TJds increased interwalUance

### competition 

### wnt in tum enhance the benoft'll oftbeDep8rtment's OpenSkies 

### poticy, first by solidjfying US-Japan Open 

### Skies, then by serving as a foundation for f\u1her liberalization across Asia. 

### Approval for 

### the American Airlines and Japan Airlines alliance 

### win have a positive 

### impact on air

### travel by offering 

### customers morc 

### service, scheduling. and pricing 

### options and 

### will help toonsure that 

### customers continue to 

### benefit fiom having tbreo 

### competitive air

### alliances&om which 

### to choosettherefore [ strongly enQOurago the DepartmentofTnmsportation to 

### approve this appUcation. 

### in
....

# ~y.~u.J
/jp