U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Daniel Webster 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Webster: 

Assistant Secretary 

April 19, 2012 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

W~hington, DC 20590 ,, 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application of JetBlue Airways for beyond-perimeter 

slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). JetBlue's application 

proposes to serve Luis Munoz Marin Airport, Puerto Rico, with one round trip per day from 

DCA. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding to new entrant or limited incumbent 

carriers a total of eight slot exemptions at DCA, which would support four daily round trips. 

We received JetBlue's application, which also proposes one daily round trip to Austin, Texas, on 

March 12. Other timely applications were received from Air Canada, proposing one round trip 

to Vancouver, British Columbia; Alaska Airlines, one round trip to Portland, Oregon, and one 

round trip to San Diego; Frontier Airlines, one round trip to Colorado Springs and beyond to San 

Diego; Southwest Airlines, one round trip to Austin and San Diego beyond; Sun Country 

Airlines, one round trip to Las Vegas; and Virgin America, Inc., two round trips to San 

Francisco. 

As the matter is still pending, I cannot comment on the merits of the points raised in your letter. 

However, I can assure you that all applications the Department received will be given full and 

fair consideration and will be evaluated against the selection criteria specified in the statute. 

The Department's action on this matter is being administered through a public docket, which 

allows all interested parties the opportunity to comment. Following our normal practice, I am 

placing a copy of your letter and this response in docket number DOT-2012-0029. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
>- ·• -M~r. 26. 2012 5:00PM 

DANIEL WEI3SiER 11'111 0t&YA1Cl', FLORIDA 

COMMITTEE ON RULES . 

TRANSPORTATION AND 

INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE 

(ON LEAVE) 

Marob26, 2012 

The Honorable Susan Kurland 

Ql:ongrt1111 of tbt 1ltdttb i>tate.s 1i)ou~e· of ·1\epteientat(bes· · · · 

8R~Jfngtou, 1Bot 20515-0908 

Assistant Secretary for A viatiori. and International Affairs 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: JetBlue Airways DCA-SJU Application, Docket DQT .. QST·2012-0029 

Dear Ms. Kurland: 

No. 0740 P. 2 

WASHINC)TOH OFfiCi: 

1039 LONOWOI\'111 HOU&E 0FRGt BUI~IIINC 

W111HING1'0N1 DC 20516 

(202) 226-2176 

1202) 221H1989 (FAX) 

WINTER GAllDfl~ OFfiC£: 

300 WEirr PLANT STREET 

WINTER GARDilf, A. 34787 

(407) 61$4-6?06 

(40'1 654-591il(FAic) 

I am writing to express my suppod for the application. of JetBlue Airways to impJement new service between 

Washington, D.C. and San Jt)eu, Puetto Rico. Tirls application is made possible through the recent exemptions 

granted to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the FAA Modernization and Reform A-ct of2012. 

The order from the Depaliment ofT1·ansportation provides for eight additional slot exemptions for new entrant 

ahd limited incumbent carrim'S. JetBlue meets these c1·iteria. 

JetBlue has built a busfneSS model designed tO provfde maximum S61'Vice for a value price. When deciding tO 

e11ter a new market, JetBlue determines that the matket is either l) over-p1iced; 2) underMserved; or 3) bas 'both 

of these characteristics. The mal'ket between Reagan National Ail-port (DCA) and San Juan) Puel'to Rico's Luiz 

Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) meets these standards. · 

Currently, there are no direct flights between DCA and SJU. The cun·ent flights between DCA and SJU have 

layovers that push m6$t flights to more than six hours and some are much longer. This new service would offer 

competition and additional options for those travelers in both Puerto Rico and the Washington, D.C. metro atea. 

In addition to improved competition and air service. Puerto Rico would benefit economically. Puerto Rico is 

home to nearly four million U.S. citizens. who are experiencing an unemployment rf\te higher than 15% and a 

trart'sportation· sector thai' has lost almost 7% of its workforce since January 2011. Any economic investment in 

Pue'rtclRic~ wotU.d bring mu<?h needed emplqyment relief at a time that it is most needed. 

l ask that you wi!l give serlot's consideration to JetBlue's proposal for a new route between DCA and SJU. 

~ Daniel Webster 

Member of Congress 

EMAIL VIA WEIISITE: woiiBtOr hOueo OilY 

X 1 ~ 120405~002 PAINTED ON AECYCU:D PAPER 
~ M~r. 26. 2012 5:00PM No. 0740 P. 1 

FAX 

Congressman Daniel Webster 

Serving Florida's 8rh Congressional District 

; 

Pages (including cover):~2.=---------------

)( '1-120405-002 

Washington, D.c 

1039 Longworth HOB 

Washington) D.C, 20515 

Phone: (202) 225~2176 

Fax: (202) 22Sy0999 

Wmter Garden, FL 

300 West Plant Street 

Winter Garden, FL 

Phone: (407) 654~5705 

Fax: (407) 654~5814