U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Assistant Secretary 

April 19, 2012 

The Honorable Evelyn Delerme Camacho 

Mayor of Vieques 

Calle Carlos Le Brum num. 449 

Vieques, PR 00765 

Dear Mayor Delerme Camacho: 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

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Thank you for your letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, supporting the @plidttlon 

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. Secretary LaHood asked that I respond to 

your letter. 

Under authority granted in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, 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, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
Evelyn .Q.f?letme .Qemacno , AJaald&a · 

Secretary 

U:S. Department:ofTtan.sportation 

1~00 ]lew Jersey: AvellU.e, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

RE: JETBLUE AIRWAYS 

Gobfemo de Puetto Rico 

Munlciptod•VIeques 

OfiCJrt• de Ia AfC.1deS!;t 

March29th~'2012 

DCA-SJU APPLICATION, D:QCKET 1JOT•OS'r·20J2 .. 00~9 

Dear.Mister SecretarY: 

I am writing to express m.y support for the application by JetBlue Airways for slpt 

e~emptiohs at· Ron~tl Re~gan Wasl)ingtQn Nation~ Airport (DCA}, to provide nonstop. 

round trip s¢tvice to San Juan/} Puerto Rico; as ·submitted under Docket DOT -OST-'2012-

0029. JetBIQ.e's plan to offer daily round trip service will provide Puerto RiC'o with the. 

nonstop access to our nation's capital that we have long sottght. 

Jet:Bh.te ls Puerto Rico's hometown low··fare aifline. Sin~e JetBlue1s first .flight in ·"DPVIL<5• onthe . 

canolt>ean. their.·service ht;ts expaiided to markets inthe regi<m, including 

St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Maarten ~nd Santo Do~ingo. JetBlue has also partnered with· 

Cape Air for additional regional service connecting. at San Juan, 

The level·of direct se.rvice .from S'an Juan to Wtl$hington has dec~ased. over the 

years ~while fares continue. to lise:. Pre$ently, limited nonstop service rronl Puerto Rico is 

tb:rougtl either Baltimore Washington ln~rnational Airport .. or Washington Dulles 

International Airport~ both of 'Which are quite distant for travelers visitihg downtoWn. 

Washington. or its federal government oftlees; The additi.on ofthls unique n()nstop. A fir$t 

of its. ldnd, would provide .travelers from the ;gre~ter Wa$bingtQn aret;t with a key 

couneqtion to. the Caribbean and benefit all visitors to and residents·ofPuerto Rico. 

S10-120405-010 ' lie Carlos te Brum m1m. 449 Vieque$1 Puerto Rico Ob76S TeL (787)14'1..,5000 }:ax(787}74l~OS65 

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1 urge you to· award J.etBlue the slot exemptions necessary to ptovide this nonstop 

round trip service between Washington, DC arid San Juan, Puj .-... 

'Ibankyol;J for yourconsi~~ration. 

S10.120405.010 

Calle Carlos LeBrum mint 449 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765 Tel. (7iJ7)Ul·SOO()Fax (7'87)741.0565