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### SUPPORT LETTER FOR AIRPORT GRANT

June 6. 2012
The

.Honorable Ray LaHood 

### Sec,.tary Unitecf:States DepartmentofTransportation 

# raoo. New**j~y .**  Ave. SE 

### Wasbiugt(in**D.C~** DearSecretary LaHood; This letter is sent to you to indicate my support for the application of the new St. George Ai.-port for a grant in che 2012 Small Community 

### Air Service

. Development**PrO(l'~m.** The City oiSt. George opene(l a new**repla~ment** airpc:irtin·January of2011

.and the**~~poll8C** of the local travelers has been outatandiQg. To 

### allow St. 

### George better access to the Nationa,l TranttpOrtation system, I aun gupporting the application of St. Oeo.-ge Airport·in**t~** Small Community Air Service Dttvelopment Program for a grant to support new nonstop jet 

### serVice' between St. George and Denver International 

### Airport. The aidines have told the community that they need an incentive progr

_ am that 

### wiU include a rovenue guarantee, and fund!i for marketing. To meet. this request. the City ofSt. George 

### and the 

### new St. George ·Regional Airport 

### are requesting a grant of $550,000 with a local contribution and

### ticket purchase program of$300,000 as an incentive for new air service at 

### our new 

### Airport

. Currently, the Airport has nonstop service 

### by Sky West with five daily flights to Salt

. Lake 

### City and one daily flight to Los**Angel~s** International Airport. Recent studies show that overall 

### passenger demand for St. 

### George is quite large but over 80% 

### of tho 

### pnssengers in the St. George 

### market nren Me using other airports. There is a 

### strong local demand for air service to the 

### Midwest

. the East, the Southwest. and the Southeast as well as flights to Europe. New nonstop flight-s to Denvercan meet this demand. Sky West Airlines hns cxpt'essed**~he** most 

### interest nt this time and could provide nonstop service with regional**jel~Jh·craft** to Denver. Sky West has requested an incentive pa'*age that 

### includes n revenue 

### guamntee, local 

### advertising and marketing, n 

### pre·purchnse ticket program by local**but~inesRes.** 

### and an inbound tour program. The initial service would include one 

### daily round trip flight between St. George and Denver with 50 sent CRJ-200 aircraft.

U1 North 100 East • Washmgton City. Utah 84780 • Ph: (435} 656-6300 • Fax <435}656·6370 • wastungtonctty

.org Mayor

. Kf!nneth F Nftilson City Manager**Ro~or** Cmt1:r Council Membet's \jill Hudson • Thad D !::loeunHIIer • Kroos Stahelt • Ronald 

### w. Truman • Jell Turek 

### 510-120621-012

### The new 

### nonstop service to 

### and &om Denver be 

### a great 

### help in 

### the conUDued eff'ort to**attn~** 

### more 

### bU8bJ.eaa to 

### the 

### St. George area. It 

### wlU also make 

### St. 

### Oeorp aoceesible to 

### the**~~-~~ ~t.**  

### The manJ NatiOnal Parks 

### near·st. George**a~ major** **a~cdone** 

### Cor "
- ielte...,at;i_onal tourlat 

### market and this new nonstop 

### flight should be 

### very populu.**Thtulk (ptyour**  

### attention to 

### thit important l1HIU.. 

### I 

## eitlCereb'**end9~ _** **~~ appU~tion**  

## u.4

- bQpe**~ yo~** **.**

### wUl

# CJiw full and

- 

### fair 

### CICmlidoration to 

### the City

.

## otSt. Qeo.p 

# u.a St. George**MwUCip~lAirport** 

### application 

### eonaiatent with all relevant

## rules and reauliltions.

# B~-·

# ----------- Mayor
. W.uhington City



### 510-120621-012,June 7, 

## :w 12
The Honorf\blc Ray LaHood Secretary Unit1.1d States Deparlment ofTransportation 1200 New ,Jersey Ave. SE \Vashington D.C. Dear Secretm·y LaHood: I am writing you on behalfofthe City ofSt. George to express appreciation for your <!ffi:>rts to make tho St. George Municipal Aiq>ort a reality and to indicate my support for the application for a grant in the 2012 Small Comnnmity Air Service Development Program. Since it's opening in Januat-y 201 J the ai1·pm-t has seen increased use ofnearly 20 percent: when compared to the former airport. Those who m>e the airport have indicated a need for othe1· destinatiol18 aside from 

### those we 

### currently service. To allow St. George t1·avelers better access to the national transportation**~ysteru,** l am supporting 

### the application ofSt. George Airport in the Small Community Air Service Uevclopment Program fo1· a grant to support new nonstopjet service between St. George and Denver International Aiq>ort. Over the courae of our negations 'vith a number of regional airline carriers, they have told the community that they need an incentive program that wiU include a revenue guarantee, and funds for marketing. To meet this request, the City of St. George is requesting a grant of $550,000 with a local contribution and ticket purchase program of 

## saoo,ooo as an i

. ncentive for new air service at out· new airport. Hecent air service market st-udies show that ovet·a.ll passenger demand for St. Geol'ge is quite large but more than 80% of the passengers in the St. George market area are using other airports, some as many as 300 miles away. In Southwestent Utah and surrounding region there is a strong demand for air service to the Midwest, tho East, the Southwest, and the Southeast as well as Hights to Europe. New nonstop flights to Denver can meet this demand

. Sky West Airlines, head-quartered in St. George haa expressed the most interest at this time and could provide nonstop service with l'et,rional jet aircraft to Denver. SkyWest has requested an incentive package that includes a**revcnu<~** guarantee. local advertising and marketing, a pre·purchasc ticket !H'ogrnm by local businesses, and an inbound tom· program. The initial ser.,·iee would**inclttd( ~**  one daily l'Ound trip flight between St
. George and Denver with a i>O seat 

### CR.J·!WO aircraft.

CITY OF ST GEORGE CITY MANAGER S!TY COUNC I L 

# s 10-120621-016

### The new nonstop service to Denver would assist in the continued effort to attract more business to the St. George area. It will -also make St. George accessible to the international market. The four US National Parks near St. George 

### are major attractions for the international tourist market and this new nonstop flight will likely be very popular. I would 

### like to 

### express my 

### gratitude for your careful consideration in this lllatter. I whole heartedly supportthis 

### effQrl to 

### obtain a Small Co1J1munity Air Service development Grant and am available should you have any questions regarding this letter or our efforts to 

### improve transportation options to our beautiful community. Sincerely.

Daniel 

### D. McArthur Mayor



### 510-120621-016