# 0**U~J~Dsporilf:'leof** 

### ctTtc:Jn$por:fcrtlon
Offfe.tt of**~'ill s;e~taty** **efTr~s~ol1otlon**


### Ms. 

## Rosanne Fou'st 

### President &.CEO

. ""''' ' "' ·, 

### Aprtl r2
, 20l2rf1 

### 1 , .,,**'~** 1 ·" 1r 

### 1
. 

### 1 l :.d L ' i. I r\ IC•**~6\rf1¥blteQ** 

## t:J'<Jlif!t'Y Bco1l(:m'fic 

### Development As$o.ciatio.n 1301 Shoreway R.aa<4 

### Suite 150**Belmont~** 

### CA ·9:40()2

Dear Ms •. 

### ·Faust;**Thank~ouforyour** 

### lettettt..:SecretaryofTtans:p.ormtkln 

## Ray LaHood, supporting 

### the appl:icatiort ofVirgin**A.medc~.** 

### Inc. for.fou.r beyond.:.perimeter.slot exemptions 

### at Ronald. Reagan Washington·**N~tlotnil.** 

### Airport (DCA), lf 

### a\\)arc;led**tb:ose.e~elijptions,** 

### VirgPl 

### A.m&i¢a · w¢itl(l 

### provide two drulyround

..trii:> flights from 

### DCA to San •Francisco. Secretaty.La:Hood**h~tsiask.:ed** 

### thatt responn•to your. letter, ·
Under 

### autborlty•granted in the FAA 

### Moderni?.atlon and' 

### Reform Act 

### o£20 

### f2f the l).S.**D~parttli~nfqf"franspQrtatronwilJ·be** 

### a\\fardirigto.neWentfatitotUmitedirieumbent catriers 

### a. total 

### of eight 

### slot exempti·ons at DCAt 

### which would support four 

### daily round 

### trips.

We 

### received 

### Virgin**Atlietloa~s applicatit)'nh~**  

### Maroh**J2~2Ql2. •Othertimely~plicati~Qs:®~**  

### received. from Air 

### Canada, proposing 

### one mood trip to 

### Vancouver, Btitish 

### Columbia; Alaska**~irtiq~s.** 

### one rot;tnd-tdp .to 

### Portland, Oregon, and .one round:-:trip. 

### to 

### San**Di~go;** 

### Frontier**Airlines~** 

### ohe:rottnd 1fip'to Colota0.9**Sprin~fntt1d** 

### b¢yond to san, Diego; 

### JetBlue Ahways, one 

### rotlrid 

## :trip t() 

### .San Juan, 

### Puerto Rico, and 

### one round trip to**Austin~** 

### Texas; 

### Southwest 

### Airlines, 'One 

### roood 

## trip to AU$tin 

### and San Piego beyond; at:td sun 

### CQuntry 1\idmes. 

### one rovnd.' 

### ttip to**L~Vegas.** 

### As the rn:atter 

### is>stiU 

### pending, we· cannot comment <>n the merits of the points, 

### raised in 

### your 

### letter; I!Qwever, [can .assure 

### .you that

..

# uapplications the O;eptgtrnent 

### received 

### will be given 

## fUll mtd'faf:rconsitter6\tion andwlll be evahtated·agajhstthe selection criteria**spe,citl~ ill:~-~~**  

### }'he**Depa.rb'n~nt's** 

### action 

### on this 

### matter is being 

### administered thro!lgh a 

### p.ubUc docket, which allows all intete.sted parties the 1 

## opportunity to 

### comment; Fdllowif1gtl)utnormal.**practice~.** 

### I 

## rutl pbtcing.a 

### co.p.y of yo\lrletter and this 

### response in 

### docket number. Ddf·20**12~0029.** 

### We appreciate your intereSt in this 

### tnattet.



### Su$Ul L. 

### Kurland Assista:[\tSecretary 

### for Aviation a.nd International**Aff~ii~s**

# AMCEDA

Mateo County Economic Development Association

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.. Stanford**H~pltQI** & Clinics**~~~~~~:t:1.a~.** 

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### nmc1. USA, ln.o RobJllt Wllbk BOh!limoiJ OCYeiOillllllllt ComlfllnY Ktmniltl!Youl!g Equity Offlee Pl:operU!!S**'r.~~~Jr,** FOSblftitelpJI$e$
., Emeritllt AlM$I)r w tile .Cb8JIIIIiln**Paill$ll~~. Carglll~lt**  Emetlrus Advisor to the Chaliii!Qn Man;h 7, 2012
The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary 

## u:s. Department ofTraosportatton 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590

Re: Docket No. OST•201Z.0029, Applleattgn of Virgin**Am~rlca** lne • .for#Beyond,.Perlmeter'' Slots

Dear Secretary LaHood:
On behalf of the San Mateo County Economic Development Associathan {SAMCEDA) I wo.tild .like to express rny strong support for Virgin America's propo$af 'o**provld~** tWo nQns,op flights**\;)etwe~n** San FranCisco International Airport (SFO) and Reagan National Airport (DCA).. .As the only airline headquartered here in the Bay Area, Virgin America is uniquely suited to bring rneanlngfullow

.. fare airline competition to the DCA·San Francisco Say Area routes.

,Historicf!lly, the B.1iY. Ar.ea, has. b.e.en shut,ol!trof; nonstop DCA**s~rvice~** with**~all.** pre,vious flight awards being made to**non~California** alrports

- with the exception of a single daily Los Angeles flight. Pri.or DCA aw'ards have**be~n** nia'qe to a nurnber ofsmaller cities ani:frnatkets, tne;ludlng Oertver 

### and Phoeni'X. ··Because SFci ·has been by far the largest market without nonstop flights to DCA, local

consumers**~nd** businesses have been the ones to suffer: with higher fares and limited options
.,.. esselfltially':'travel to Washington Dulles, or the option of· taking a one-stop connecting flight when traveling to downtown Washington D.C.

, ,.When making this critical decision, I urge you to

..consider the positive impact ofimprovlng the connection between Washington D.C. and the Bay Area's innovatlc,m,.based economy. Al.locationoftwo round-trip flights to Virgin .America .:.. our hometown carrier -will provide assurance that the flay Area will finally have.effleient, modern and low

.. fare. nonstop flight**servl~eto** DCA. It will<:llso**$1ll~l'f1teethat** local consumers and businesses reap the benefit that only real competition can provide.

Since its August 2007 launch, Virgin America has lowered fares and provided 

## :a unique new service option for local travelers. The Wall Stre¢t Jovrnal went so far as to describe the le>W-fare airline's impact on fares as "the Virgin effect."

· 1 In addfttoo, with fleetwide Wifi, power outlet$, to.uch·
screen entertainment and new aircraft 4 Virgin America's investment in its bi:isiness:-fdendly product has. offered an inventive new service option**fortech~forwarct** corporate travelers. in tbe Bay Area.

When more airlines compete, consumers. and regional economies win- 

### wttli lower fares and improved service. The award of two roundtrip flights to Virgin America will ensure that local business travelers will benefit from real competition in the DCA market. On behalf of our region, Bay Are.a travelers and the business community, I urge you to consider Virgin America's proposal.

Since.·.·.

### rei~. . . . .

### ~. .

# ~~·**Rosano~.** Foust Pres1dent& CEO

1 The Virgin Effect: lower**Cros~~C:::ountrv** Fares," Wall Street Journal, 'october 30, 

## 2.oof

I "**~** ' ; t ' ·,"**~** t > 1301 Shoreway Road, S!J;te·1o@ 

### I Qelmont, California 940Q2 

## t. p 650.41!Mi600 

### 'I ' F650.413.5909 

### I**'www.s~m~a~org S10~120314-006** 

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