# O

u s . DcportHMn t o f l 20 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Tronsportaflo n Marc h 29 . 201 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Of f ic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Scot t Voeli<e r Airpor t Operation s Directo r Joh n Murth aJohnstown-Cambri aAirpor t 47 9 Airpor

t Roa d Johnstown , P

A 1590 4 Dea r Mr . Voelker , I woul d like to updat e you o n th e essential ai r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a

t Altoona/Blai r

Count y Airpor t an d Joh n Murth aJohnstown-Cambri aAirpor t an d giv e you a

n opportunit

y to offe r an y comment s o n th e record befor e w e submi t

arecommendatio n t

o th e Assistan t

Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an d Internationa l Affairs . A s yo u know , Colga

n Ai r Inc. , operatin g a s Unite d Expres s (Colgan) , i s th e curren t EA S provide r

a t you r community , an

d thei r contrac t expire s Jun e 30 , 2010 . I

n anticipatio n of

that , w e issue d Order

2010-2-28 , Februar y 26 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fromcarrier s intereste d i n providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two-yea r period , beginnin g Jul y 1 , 2010 . In respons e to our request , fou

r carrier s responded : Charter Ai r Transpor t (Charter) , Colgan , Gulfstrea mInternational Airline s (Gulfstream) , an d Sovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . Yo u shoul d hav e receive d acop y of th e proposal s fro

meac h carrier , an d they can b e accesse d a t www.regulations.go v b

y enterin g th e number s DOT-OST-2002-1144 6 fo r Altoon aan d DOT-OST-2002 - 1145 1 fo r Johnstow n i

n th e searc h block . A s aresult , w e will only briefl y summariz e themhere . Charte r ha s propose d on e servic e optio n usin g 30-sea t Embraer EMB-12 0 aircraf

t operatin g tw o roun d trip s eac h da y excep t Saturda y ove r a n Altoona-Johnstown-Washingto n Dulle s routing , an d on e roun d tri p eac h da y excep t Saturda y over a n Altoona-Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g fo r acombine d annua

l subsid y of $2,960,205 . Colga n ha s propose d on e servic e optio n to provid e bot h communitie s wit

h thre e roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d eac h weeken d (1 8 aweek) , wit h ami x of nonstop s an

d on e sto p .servic e ove r

a n Altoona-Johnstown Washingto n Dulle s o r

Johnstown-Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g usin g 34-sea t Saa b 34 0 aircraf

t fo r a n annual subsidy of

$3,348,294 . Gulfstrea mha s propose d fou

r servic e options , al l of

whic h woul d us e 19-sea

t Beechcraf

t 1900 aircraft . Optio n I woul d operat e t

o Clevelan d a s Continental Express ; Option s 2- 4 woul d operat e t o Pittsburg h an d b e unbranded . Optio n I woul d offe r fou r weekda y round trip s an

d atotal o f

fou r weeken d roun d trip s (2 4 a week) , over

aCleveland-Altoona-Johnstown-Clevelan d routin g o r Cleveland-Johnstown-Altoona Clevelan d routing , fo

r a n annua l subsidy of

$3,874,464 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda

y an d weeken d (18 aweek ) over a n Altoona-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y o f $1,983,918 . Optio n 3 woul d offe r thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d weeken d (1 8 aweek ) over a Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y o f $1,749,981. Optio n 4 woul d offe r fou r weekda y roundtrip s an d atota

l o f fou r weeken d roun d trip s wit

h ami x of nonsto p an d one-sto p servic e ove r a Pittsburgh-Altoona-Johnstown-Pitt.sburg h routin g o r Pittsburgh-Johnstown-Altoona-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annual subsid

y of $3,301,212 . Sovereig n Ai

r ha s propose d thre e servic e options . Whil e al l thre e option s woul d us e Kin g Ai r 35 0 aircraft , unde r Optio n I , i

t woul d b e configure d fo

r 1 2 seats , an

d unde r Option s 2 an d 3 , 9 seats . Optio n 1 woul d offe r five dail y roun d trip s (3 5 aweek ) over aJohnstown-Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y o f $1,103,603 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r fou r dail y nonsto p round trip s (2 8 aweek ) ove r aJohnstown -Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsidy of

$1,117,417 . Optio n 3 woul d offe r fou r dail y nonsto p roundtrip s (2 8 aweek) over a n Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annual subsidy of

$1,231,939 . Th e schedule s tha

t th e carrier s hav e propose d ar e illustrativ e only an d they ma y mak e schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban

k time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t

doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai

r carrie r to maintai n well-time d an d well-space d flight s i n order to ensur e ful l compensation . W e reques t

tha t yo u revie w th e proposal s an d submi t any comment s you ma

y hav e a s soo n a s possible , but no later tha n Apri l 23 . We will carefull y conside r you r comment s befor

e we submi t

arecommendatio n to th e Assistan t

Secretar y fo r adecision . Pleas e sen d you r

comment s vi ae-mai l to EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x to 202-366-7638 . I

f yo u hav e an

y questions , pleas e feel free to contac t Michae l Marti n o f

m y staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366 - 6494 . Sincerely , Denni s J . DeManJ . Chie f —

^ Essentia l Ai

r Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s cc : Th e Honorabl e Willia

mSchirf , Mayo r of th e Cit y o f Altoon a Th e Honorabl e Thoma s Trigona , Mayo r o f th e Cit y o f Johnstow n Chuc k Pillar , Altoona/Blai r

Count y Airpor t