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Transportatto n Woshington, DC 20590 

Office of the Secretary "/I -'{i) ' 3 f-'^ ?: 20 

of Transportation 

February 18, 2011 

Via Fax: (308) 762-2568 

Lynn Placek 

Airport Operations Manager 

324 Laramie Ave 

P.O. Box D 

Alliance, ^fE 69301 

Dear Ms. Placek: 

I would like to update you on the essential air service situation at Alliance and 

Chadron and give you an opportunity to submit any comments if you wish. As you 

know, by Order 2011-1-10, January 14, 2011, the Department solicited proposals from all 

interested air carriers to provide service at Alliance and Chadron, Nebraska, for a new 

two-year term beginning June 1, 2011. At this stage, we would normally ask for your 

preferences for various carrier and service options. However, in response to that order, 

Great Lakes Aviation (Great Lakes), the incumbent, was the only carrier to submit a 

proposal. Nonetheless, we want to give you an opportunity to submit any final comments 

for the record that you may have. A copy of Great Lakes* proposal may be accessed 

online Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at: http://www.regulations.gov/ by 

entering DOT-OST-2000-8322. 

Great Lakes proposes to continue its two-round-trip-a-day service pattern at Alliance 

and Chadron for an annual subsidy of $2,217,401. Service would be operated with 19-

seat Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. We are currently reviewing Great Lakes' compensation 

requirement. 

Please note that the average passenger fares shown in the proposal do not necessarily 

reflect the average local fare Alliance passengers would actually pay, but, rather, reflect a 

prorated portion of the total ticket price, e.g., the Alliance - Denver of an Alliance -

Denver - Washington, D.C. ticket that the subsidized can'ier would realize. Also, the 

fare shown is net of certain charges such as Federal transportation security fees, excise or 

ticket taxes, and Passenger Facility Charges. Of course, carriers have the discretion to 

charge fares they deem appropriate, and the passenger fares presented in their proposals 
- 2 -

have been developed for subsidy rate computation purposes only. Based on the cost 

elements incorporated in the carrier's computation summaries. Great Lakes would have 

to realize passenger fares comparable to the averages shown in their proposals in order to 

achieve break-even or profitable operations without subsidy. 

You should also note that the schedule that the carrier has submitted is illustrative 

only, and that they may make schedule changes to reflect changing conditions, e.g., to 

better meet shifting connecting hank times at the hub. The Department expects 

subsidized air carriers to maintain well-timed and well-spaced flights in order to ensure 

full compensation. 

We ask that you submit any comments you may have as soon as possible, but in any 

case no later than March 17, 2011. We will carefully consider your comments before we 

submit a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for a decision. Should you have any 

questions or noed additional lime to draft your comments, please Jet us know. 

Please send your comments via e-mail to EAS@dot.gov or by fax to 202-366-7638. If 

you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kevin Schlemmer of my staff at 

kevin.schlemmer@dot.gov or 202-366-3176. 

Sincerely, 

Dennis J. DeVany 

Chief, Essential Air Service Division, X-53 

Office of Aviation Analysis