Grassley had asked Northwest to consider the route after Midwest Airlines announced that it would not be servicing Des Moines on a direct flight from Washington. After learning of Northwest's decision to proceed, Grassley made a personal phone call to Mineta to endorse the Northwest Airlines application.
Grassley said that Iowans should write Mineta voicing their support for the direct service. He asked that Iowans also send him a copy of their letter. He will then use this in follow-up conversations with Mineta. The letters must be received by July 1 and can be sent via fax to Grassley at 202-224-6020 and Mineta at 202-366-3675.
Here is a copy of Grassley's letter to Mineta.
June 24, 2004
The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta
Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I strongly support Northwest Airlines' application for two Washington Reagan National Airport within-perimeter slot exemptions to preserve nonstop service between Des Moines, Iowa and Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), docket OST-2000-7182.
Since October 2000, Midwest Airlines has operated a single daily Des Moines-DCA nonstop service utilizing two within-perimeter slot exemptions created by the Wendell H. Ford Investment and Reform Act ("AIR-21"). Recently, Midwest Airlines announced that it would discontinue its Des Moines-DCA nonstop service effective June 30, 2004. By approving Northwest Airlines' application, service would resume for passengers and shippers as soon as possible.
Northwest Airlines would provide daily nonstop roundtrip Bombardier CRJ-440 service between Washington Reagan National Airport and Des Moines, Iowa operated by Pinnacle Airlines Corp., Northwest's Airlink codeshare partner. I believe that Northwest Airlines can attract sufficient passengers to make this service successful. Northwest Airlines already offers 20 daily flights from Washington Reagan National Airport, and can provide sufficient and effective marketing of the proposed service.
Des Moines was among the first deserving communities selected by the Department to receive nonstop service to DCA pursuant to the slot exemptions created by AIR-21. Des Moines is an underserved small hub community that lacks any nonstop access to the Washington, D.C. area other than Midwest Airlines' soon-to-be-discontinued single daily flight. The Washington, D.C. area is one of Des Moines' largest origin and destination markets and will be Des Moines' largest unserved nonstop market upon Midwest Airlines' discontinuation of Des Moines-DCA service. Des Moines is precisely the type of small underserved community that AIR-21 was designed to benefit.
Des Moines has now received nonstop service to DCA for almost four years. The community relies upon this direct connection to the nation's capital, and maintaining that connection is important to the residents and economic well being of Des Moines and the State of Iowa. The AIR-21 slot exemptions utilized by Midwest Airlines for Des Moines service should be awarded to Northwest Airlines for replacement service in the DCA-Des Moines market for the same reasons the slots were originally awarded to the Des Moines community.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator