' ' 

U.S. Departmenl 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Ms. JenniferL. Hogancamp 

Airport bire~tor- ~ . . . · , . 

Assistant Secretary 

July 3, 2012 

Beaumont/Port Arthur Jack Brooks Regional Airport 

4875 Parker Drive 

Beaumont, TX 77705 

Dear Ms. Hogancamp: 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by 

the Beaumont/Port Arthur Jack Brooks Regional Aiq1ort for a grant under the U.S. Department 

of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has 

requested that I respond on his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be fupded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the- · 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
... ! .. • 

INTRODUCTORY LETTER 

~ 

~~ JACK BROOi<S 

REGIONALAIRPORT 

.,. 

Jt..ne 11, 20~2 . 

Honcr.ablo Ra~mond H. Lo:~Hood 

Secre!<lry of Trarspor.aton 

lJ S Depa·tment of Tnuu;partation 

1 :mo NAw Jerfley Avenue SE 

\f','asl'.ington. DC 20590 

. -·"···· 

.. ~ .. 

4675 PARKf-'R O!WtBEI\IJ ~10NT, I X / 11'05 

rH: (LC9} 7Hl-4000 

F~.x· (40H) /22-2830 

RE: 9eaumontfPort 1\rthur Jack Or:>oks Regloral AirJ:·::trt Small GommurtJty Air Service 

Development Gra1t Proposal 

Daar St~crelarv LaHoo:J: 

4 JACK BROOKS 

REGIONA .. AIRPORT ~CIIIill IOG:l!!Ail UJ.ll IIGI'!l.ll ~~rot~ 

Bea~m·ont:l"ort An1ur .Jack Hrnok1> Regiaual Airport s sut:mittlng :1e atAJched pro::osal fer 

funding under the Small Community Air Service De•Jel::>pment Program. and lht> p•aposal fer 

Oeaurr.ont/Port Arthur Jack Br::>oks Reg onal Ai-port rreets the eligibility requirements of :he 

program. 

We aro proposing a cro,ect !hilt would e1able the Airport tc de·Jelop Md i"'''pleme~ll a Marketing 

and advertis1ng program to promote use of the. eorrmunit>;'s cxistirg air seivice ard retcnn a r 

serv1ce over the lung-IE!Ifll. CLJrrentl'{. t11c communitts air service ir. operated b~· llr.i:eli 

ElC~ress to United's hJb at Houst::-n Intercontinental Airport. The 5-#I"'Jiee is cJrrcntly OJ:eroted 

by Colgan Al• using Saao 340 turt:oprop a r:::ratt, and Cni:Jnn is ~lann•ng to redre its r·eet of 

Saab aircraft in the near hllur~. For!Lnaltil~·. Un ted plars to replace the Sasb ·se~::;e with 

service operated by reglona. jets. 

Successful implerrentation o' the p~oposed l'narketing and advertising program st:ould ·educe 

t·1e number uf passenga·s leaking :o the airports •n Houston. ~.lthcu·:Jh demand hill! ~:-ear, 

astimatod at more than 1,6-:iO passengers per day eacn way, less than 40 passengers per day 

each way are using the air serv1ce avai able at our local airport. Ur.ited Is taking a SLbstantial 

tin<incrt11 n:;k lO"Hpgrace tha turboprop sarvice·to··rcgioool jet seiVice, ond mo·e traffic must be 

generated to ensJre the regional jet service is a financial success. I 1e level of :raftic current!~ 

using 13eaumort/Po1 Arth~;r's existing air service w11! ~nrr.pl'i 11ot he su~f:l:i~nt lc SJPC·:lrt ~eglonal 

jet service ever the long-lerrr. 

Sma·l C:)llltnJnity Atr Scr~t:::o D.::-.;elcpment fJnding is essential to th;a r.cmrrur.ity s goal of 

ersur.ng :he communi!'/ wi I retain its air service. 

l hP. ..:nmmunity is appreciative ot the oppo'tu1it'; t:> subm !'this proposal.·a11d we look for.vard :a 

the oossibility of a grant <:~war:::. 

Sih:erel~•. 

:.)~--iv~~·.f:j). j -:A .J.Lca; ;(_-'(U.JJ.r . . 

v :/ ·~J : J~r.nifer L. Hoga:~::am:l, C.M. . 

/1. rport Director 

3eaunonliPort Arth>Jr Jack Brooks Regi·onal Airport 

Jack Brooks Regional Airport; Beaumont, Texas 

Proposal Under the Small Community Air Service Development Program; Docket DOT -OST -2012-0069 

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