U.S. Department Assistant .Secretary 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretory 

of Transportation January 22, 2013 

Ms. Melissa Noriega 

City Council At-Large, Position 3 

City of Houston 

Houston, TX 77251-1562 

Dear Ms. Noriega: 

f200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington. DC 20590 

w 

0 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary ofTranspOiiation Ray LaHood, supporting the application 

of Southwest Airlines (Southwest) for two within-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan 

Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest proposes to serve Houston's William P. Hobby 

Airport with one nonstop round trip per day from DCA_. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond 

to you on his behalf. 

We received Southwest's application on December 5, 2012. Other timely applications were 

received from JetBlue Ainvays, proposing one nonstop round trip to Jacksonville International 

Airport, Florida, and from US Ainvays, proposing one nonstop round trip to Will Rogers World 

Airport in Oklahoma City. 

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 received by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation will be given due and careful consideratjon. 

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 Jetter and this response in docket number DOT-OST-2000-7182. 

I appreciate your interest in this matter. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and Intemational Affairs 
Melissa No_rieg_a _ Houston City Council At-Large Position 3 

December 17,2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey A venue. S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re: Docket No. DOT-OST-2000-7182 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

The purpose of this letter is to address flights between Houston Hobby Airport (}·lobby) and Ronald 

Reagan Washington National (DCA). I have made the trip recently and am very clear that these routes are 

needed desperately. It would promote the airline competition, affordable airfares and greater access 

between the nation's capital and Greater Houston. 

I respectfully request the Department of Transportation approve the Southwest Airlines application for 

two slot exemptions at DCA. Southwest will use these slot exemptions to begin daily nonstop service 

between DCA and Hobby. As of today, there is no scheduled air service between DCA and Hobby. 

The Houston-DCA market is underservcd and overpriced. As the nation's largest low-costairline, 

Southwest is well suited to provide significant consumer benefits in this vital market. Since 1971, 

Southwest has a proven track record of lowering ticket prices and stimulating more passenger traffic in 

the markets it enters. 

Through new competition, lower airfares, and the use of :1 standard I 43-seat aircraft, Southwest's proposed 

service is projected to attract tens-of-thousand of new passengers as well as generate millions of dollars of 

consumer benefits annually in the DC A-Houston market. Business and leisure travelers would benefit if 

Southwest is able to bring low-fare competition to the Houston-DCA market. 

Again I request that the Department of Transportation appl'ove Southwest's application for two slot 

exemptions at DCA. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this important matter. 

Sincerely, 

Melissa Noriega 

At Large, Position 3 

S10-1i12l7 -014 , 

------------------------------~----"''~,~~''' Houston. Texas 77251-1562 * 832-3<.13-3005 * FAX ~32-393-3251 k atlargcJ((i;houstontx.gov 
m.1uswn uty \.nuncu At-Large Posilion 3 

.P.O. Box I 562 

Houston. Texas 77251-1562