'•- i : t' r USO«>artm«nto f Assistan t Secretar y"'120 0 Na wJerseyAwnuc , S E Tftinsportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o rth e Secretar y" ' • ^" ^ ' ' ^ 2 o f Transportatio n 

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### 20) 0 Mr . Jac k Co x Presiden t Halfacre Constructio n 701 5 Professiona l Parkway Eas t Sarasota , F L3424 0 Dear Mr . Cox ; Than k yo u for you r lette r of Octobe r 6 t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g AirTra nAirways , Inc . (AirTran ) t o serv e Sarasota , Florida , i n th e ongoin g slot-exemptio nproceedin g a t Ronal dReaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airport (DCA) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dtha t I respon dt o you r

lette r directly . A s you know , th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio ncommence daproceedin g o n Augus t 3 0 t o reallocat e tw o DC A slo t exemption s that

ar e currentl y bein g use db y Republi c Airline , Inc . (Republic) . Republi c ha s bee nusin g thes e tw o slo t exemption s for DC A - Kansa s City service . Thes e slo t exemption s may b e use dt o serv e any mediu m hu b o r smalle r airport withi n th e 1,250-mil e perimete r of DCA . W e hav e receive datotal o f fiv e proposals , briefl y outline dbelow :

• Su n Country t o serv e Lansing , Michigan , wit h129 - o r 162-seat aircraft ; • Republi c Airline , Inc. , brande da s Frontie r Airlines , to continu e to serv e Kansa s City , Missouri , with99-sea t regiona l je t

aircraft ; • Southwes t

Airline s Co. , t o serv e Kansa s City utilizin g 137-sea t aircraft ; • U S Airways , Inc. , t o serv e Pensacola , Florida , utilizin g 76 - o r 86-seai regiona l je t aircraft , dependin g o n th e season ; an d • Air TranAirways , Inc. , t o serv e eithe r For t Myer s o r

Sarasota , Florida , utilizin g eithe r 117-o r 137-seat aircraft . A s th e slo t

exemptio n proceedin g i s competitiv e an di s currentl y unde r revie w b y th e Department , I a

msur e you understan dtha t I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

th e proposals . I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l fully conside r

all o f th e proposals , an dmak e it s awar dbase do n th e selectio ncriteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes .Mr . Jac k Co x Pag e 2 A s i s ou r normal practice . I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r andmy respons e i

nDocke t DOT-OST-2000-7I8 2 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s proceeding . I appreciat e you r interes t i n obtainin g acces s t o th e Nation' s capital . I f I ca nprovid e furthe r informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . incerel y yours , lurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Av'iatio nan dInternationa l Affair s

# n HALFACR E CONSTRUCTIO N COMPAN Y Octobe r6,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

yH . LaHoo d Secretaryo f Transportatio n US . Departmen t o f Transporlatio n ?200 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S.E . Washington , DC 2059 0 RE : Docke t OST-2000-718 2 Dea rSecretar yLaHood : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou rsuppor t fo rth e applicatio n o f AirTra n Airway s Inc . fo rth e tw o availabl e Ronal d Reaga n Washingto n Nationa l Airpor t (DCA ) within-perimete rslot s bein g allocate d b yth e Departmen t i n Docke t OST-2000-718 2 t o provid e nonsto p servic e fro m Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airpor t (SRQ ) t o DCA . Th e Sarasot a Bradento n are a ha s onl yon e dail ynonsto p o n a regiona l je t t o Washington , DC , eve n thoug h i t i s th e sixt h larges t destinatio n marke t fro m thi s area . Wit h ove r750,00 0 resident s an d OU Tprim e locatio n a s a leisur e destinatio n fo rtourists , SR Q co n certainl ysuppor t odditiono J servic e an d i t woul d b e a grea t hel p t o th e touris m IndustryI n thi s region , whic h suffere d a significan t impac t fro m th e BP oi l spill . Thi s ne wservic e woul d als o mitigat e th e negativ e economi cimpac t th e recessio n ha s ha d o n th e communit yan d th e airport . Whil e AirTra n als o offer ? a n alternativ e t o awar d th e rout e t o Southwes t Florid a Internationa l (RSW) , w e as k

tha t th e slo t b e awarde d t o Airtra n conditione d o n th e slo t b e utilize d fo rSRQ . I n additio n t o enhancin g competitio n an d lowerin g fare s a t Sarasot a Bradento n Internationa l Airport , th e propose d servic e woul d increas e connectivit yt o destination s i n th e Northeas t an d Midwest , critica l market s fo rou rregion . Thon k yo u fo ryou rconsideration .

Presiden t Halfacr e Constructio n cc : Rte k Piccoto , Sarosoi a Bradento n Internationa l Airpor t

701 5 Professiona l Parkwa yEas t * Sarasota , Florid a 3424 0 • Phon e 941-907-909 9 • Fa x941-907-907 9 • Lie . #CCC05955 6 

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