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Jul y14 , 201 0 Mr . Denni s Devan y Chief , EA S an d Domesti cAnalysi s U S Departmen t o fTransportatio n 40 0 7" ' St . S

WRoo m 640 1 Washington , D

C 2059 0 I n respons e t o Docke t DOT-OST-2000-713 8 DearMr . Devaney : Thanl < yo u fo rth e opportunit yt o commen t o n th e proposal s fo rEssentia l Ai rServic e a t Huron , Sout h Dai<ota . W e surel yappreciat e th e opportunit yt o participat e i n th e EA S progra m an d believ e tha t no t onl yi s i t "essential " bu t trul yi s a servic e t o th e peopl e o fthi s communit ya s wel l a s th e surroundin g area . I thin k

yo u woul d als o agre e tha t Huron , whe n presente d th e opportunit yt o have "good " commercia l ai rservice , has responde d wit h increasin g boarding s number s an d ha s continue d tha t tren d throug h th e variou s up s an d down s w e hav e experience d throughou t ou rhistoryi n th e program . As yo u ar e wel l aware , i n 197 8 communitie s suc h a s our s wer e provide d a continuanc e 6 f commercia l ai rservic e tha t woul d otherwis e b e los t du e t o deregulation , unde rth e ne w"Essentia l Ai r Service " program . However , latel yth e concep t o f"service"seem s t o have bee n remove d fro m wha t w e ar e seein g wit h thi s carrier . Whe n yo u onl yhav e tw o flight s pe rdayreliabilit yi s critica l an d i fsomeone' s whol e dayis'base d o n makin g a connectio n a t th e hu b an d th e carrie ri s consistentl ylat e o rdoesn' t fl y a t al l yo u have basicall ylos t th e abilit yt o clai m ai r"service " exist s at you rcommunity . Likewise , i fth e carrie rseem s t o no t care whethe ro rno t the yfl ypassenger s fro m you rcommunit yyo u hav e agai n los t th e abilit yt o clai m tha t yo u hav e ai r"service" . Th e inten t o f thi s progra m wa s t o provid e a minimu m leve l o fservic e terme d "basic " EAS . Unde rthi s "basic " EA S w e ar e t o receive , amon g othe rthings , servic e wit h n o mor e tha n on e intermediat e sto p betwee n ourselve s an d ou rdesignate d hub . Now , i n th e lates t o fa lon g lis t o f problem s wit h Grea t Lakes , w e fin d tha t ou rmornin g fligh t ha s no wbee n stoppin g twic e betwee n u s an d ou rDenve rhub ; a direc t violatio n o fth e progra m rules . Thi s i n an d o fitsel fwoul d b e a n issu e o f significanc e fo ru s du e t o th e fac t tha t ou rpassenger s wer e mor e tha n likel yunawar e whe n the ybooke d thei rfligh t tha t i t woul d sto p twic e instea d o fth e onc e tha t the ywer e expecting . Theyprobabl ywer e als o unawar e tha t the ywoul d b e significantl ylat e i n makin g thei rconnection s befor e the yeve n lef t th e groun d du e t o tha t secon d stop . I ftha t wa s th e onl yproble m tha t w e hav e ha d wit h thi s carrie rove r th e curren t perio d o fservic e w e migh t hav e bee n abl e t o overloo k it . However , i t no wtake s o n mor e significanc e whe n w e ar e face d wit h a likelihoo d o fcontinue d servic e b ythi s carrie runde ra ne w2 yea r contract .•Wf/ W

Oevany , Pag e 2

Jul y14,201 0 Ther e als o wa s anothe rproposa l submitted , thi s bySovereig n Air . Had thi s carrie rbi d th e require d minimu m leve l o fservic e fo ra n aircraf t smalle rtha n 1 5 seat s bu t mor e Importantly , ha d thei r certificat e i n plac e an d a recor d o fperformanc e tha t w e coul d see , the ywoul d have bee n give n fa rmor e consideratio n tha n w e wer e abl e t o giv e unde rth e circumstances . W e canno t wit h goo d conscienc e suppor t thi s bi d a t thi s tim e wit h th e unknown s tha t surroun d it . Therefore , sinc e Grea t Lakes wil l obviousl yb e selecte d fo rth e next contrac t perio d w e woul d as k tha t the ypleas e b e hel d t o th e requirement s o ftha t contrac t an d tha t the yb e require d t o provid e evidenc e o fnecessityfo reverydelaye d an d cancelle d fligh t tha t the yoperate . Wit h th e recen t experienc e o f th e tw o stop s betwee n u s an d th e hu b wher e the ywer e awar e tha t the ywer e violatin g th e rule s an d wer e subjec t t o losin g compensatio n fo rthos e flight s an d ye t continue d t o d o s o fo rove r 1 2 days tha t w e kno wo fshow s u s a complet e lac k o fconcer n fo rwha t thei rperformanc e (o rlac k thereof ) doe s t o th e community . Obviously , th e ris k o flosin g th e compensatio n wasn' t a governin g concer n fo rthe m bu t i t lik e al l th e cancelle d an d delaye d flight s present s a hug e publi crelation s proble m fo ru s whe n w e tr yt o kee p thos e passengers tha t ar e inconvenience d fro m goin g elsewhere . W e woul d als o as k

tha t consideratio n b e give n t o providin g u s wit h a thir d roun d tri p pe rda yt o giv e ou r passengers a n alternativ e t o thos e time s whe n thei rschedule d fligh t i s cancelle d o rexcessivel ydelayed . Thi s w e hop e coul d a t leas t b e trie d o n a limite d schedul e t o se e i fboarding s woul d respon d enoug h t o offse t th e increase d expens e o fth e flight . W e ar e confiden t tha t thi s woul d happe n give n th e opportunity . Onc e again , than k

yo u fo rth e opportunit yt o participat e i n thi s progra m an d th e opportunit yt o commen t o n somethin g whic h hold s suc h importanc e fo rou rcommunity . I fyo u hav e an yquestion s pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t u s a t an ytime . Sincerely , Davi d McGirr , Mayor

^ Cit yo fHuron , S D cc : Representativ e Herset h Sandli n Senato rJoh n Thun e Senato rTi m Johnso n