February 20, 2013 

Post Office Box 1569 

Carlsbad, NM 88221-1569 

(575) 887-1191 

1-800-658-2 713 

www.cityofcarlsbadnm.com 

To: Dennis J. DeVany 

Chief, Essential Air Service Division, X-53 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

EAS@dot.gov 

Dear Mr. DeVany: 

DALEJANWAY 

MAYOR 

JONR. TULLY 

CITY ADMINISTRATOR 

As the Mayor of Carlsbad, New Mexico, I wanted to thank you for your continued dialog 

concerning the Essential Air Service contract for Carlsbad. After a review of the data available 

and conversations with numerous officials from other cities similar to ours and a careful review 

of the RFP, I respectfully disagree with the assertion made by DOT that Boutique Option 1 does 

not meet the standards set forth in the RFP. Further, upon careful reading of the RFP, my 

interpretation is that Boutique Option 1 meets both the spirit and letter of the goals of the RFP 

which is, stated simply, is to provide adequate air service to rural communities. Frankly, nonpressurized flights to Albuquerque, while appreciated, do not meet our needs as a community, 

as the following data will suggest. I support our committee's recommendation of a 

compromise in the consideration of Option 2. 

We have conducted a considerable amount of research to determine the relationship between 

EAS and communities that are similar to Carlsbad demographically. We've carefully studied 

DOT/EAS correspondence available on the web as well as the proposals by Boutique and NM 

Airlines. Further we have again carefully reviewed the RFP. We have also corresponded with 

officials in some of the communities to verify the information that we reviewed. What we 

found is that many communities have EAS relationships and also have service to dual hubs. 

(Attached is a summary document detailing smaller communities with service to two hubs 

which are covered by an EAS agreement.) 

DOT Secretarial Order 2012-5-17, served May 22, 2012, details of one of several examples of 

cities similar in size to Carlsbad serving dual hubs with pressurized air service through DOT/EAS 

program. Lewisburg, West Virginia, is a town of 35,480 which is currently averaging 12-14 

flights a week to Atlanta and Dulles (Washington DC). The plane is a 34 seat pressurized 

turboprop. The EAS contract subsidizes the travel at $3.48 million annually. 

Ward 1 

PAUL C. AGUILAR 

Ward2 

J.R. DOPORTO 

COUNCILORS 

Ward3 

JUDI WATERS 

G. SHIRLEY 

Ward4 

DICK DOSS 

JANELL E. WHITLOCK 
Originally, Lewisburg did not receive any competing bids. Silver Airways was finally awarded 

the bid through the process. Silver originally offered only one hub, that being Atlanta, but 

through negotiations a second hub (Dulles) was added. Below is a quote from Secretarial order 

2012-5-15 page 7 paragraph 2. 

"The City of Lewisburg, which received no competing bids, also fully supported Silver's 

Proposal. Mr. John Manchester, Mayor of Lewisburg, said that Silver's proposal"more 

than adequately addresses our community's air service needs." We note that Silver 

originallyproposed service only to Atlanta but as a result of negotiations between the 

Department and the airline, Silver added two additional options that include service to 

Washington and Atlanta. The Department received comments from the community 

supporting service to both hubs." 

In the period from 1990 to 1998, Carlsbad had service from Mesa Airlines with a twin engine 

pressurized turboprop which provided service to both Albuquerque and Dallas. During those 

years we averaged over 20,000 origin/destination passengers per year. We are currently 

averaging about 5,000 origin/destination passengers per year over the last 4 years. Some of this 

loss of passengers is attributable to servicing only one location; the other portion of the loss is 

likely attributable to the lack of a pressurized plane as well as a plane with limited seating. This 

loss in usage of our Air Service is contrary to the fact that our Carlsbad-area population has 

grown considerably since the 1990's. 

It has become clear that a pressurized plane and service to Albuquerque is a necessity, both by 

businesses as well as retired individuals seeking travel opportunities or those traveling with 

health care concerns. It is, most significantly, an economic necessity. 

Some of the reasons from the business perspective are: Carlsbad hosts the nation's only 

licensed nuclear repository and is supported heavily by the Department of Energy's National 

Laboratories. (Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratories}. Both of 

these labs are headquartered in or near Albuquerque. The local potash mines are the largest in 

the nation, employing over 2000 FTE's and contractors, these companies require that flights to 

Albuquerque continue, allowing them to reach home offices in Denver, Chicago and Santa Fe. 

Also, we have a need to regularly transport medical supplies and our veterans must fly to 

Albuquerque for care at the closest VA hospitals. 

In addition, travel to and from Washington DC and options for flights to DOE sites across the US 

which are east of Carlsbad are needed. Travel east through DFW is seen as a necessary 

enhancement. Southeast New Mexico is supporting the economic growth of the nation 

through our production of oil and natural gas. Energy companies working in and around 

Carlsbad need access to DFW to further their business (we have the highest drilling rig count in 

the nation in Carlsbad and Eddy County at this time). Access to Dallas is also critical for medical 

patients seeking cancer treatment or heart surgery, for example. Eddy County is also home to 

the Federal law Enforcement Training Center and thousands of students from across the nation 

travel to FLETC for Border Patrol, Air Marshall, Flight Deck, Fish & Wildlife, BLM, and some State 

Police from different states, TSA Inspectors and Bureau of Indian Affairs training. 
Finally, there are the health needs of our population. Travel to Albuquerque requires that we 

gain altitude to cross the mountains, making pressurization very important to citizens with 

health care concerns. 

There were numerous other reasons for this recommendation, but I wanted to communicate 

some of the basics. I have revised the earlier recommendation from Boutique Option 1 to 

Boutique Option 2 as what I see as a compromise to some of the concerns expressed in your 

prior correspondence. This option meets the need for a pressurized plane and includes 12 

flights weekly to DFW and Albuquerque. This is the minimum service that we determine will fit 

the essential economic needs of the community and area. I am committed to working with you 

and DOT to the end goal of meeting the basic need for air travel in and out of the community. 

Sincerely, 

Mayor 

~=------ Dale Janway 

Carlsbad, NM 

Cc: United States Senator Tom Udall 

United States Senator Martin Heinrich 

United States Congressman Steve Pearce 

Governor Susanna Martinez 

Lt. Governor John Sanchez 
Some of the current similar EAS communities with dual hubs 

Number round trip Destinations Airplane 

flights/ week to approved EAS EAS 

EAS TERM City /EAS Contract Population Company Winning EAS each destination for EAS Millions$ Order# or 

Proposal Docket# 

2011-2013 El Dorado, AK 18,789 Seaport Air 18 (with a Hot Memphis & Dallas Love Field Pilatus PC-12/9 2.43 Hl2Z-2l.l~!2 

Springs flight each (9-seat, 

week) Pressurized plane) 

2012-2013, Burlington, lA 25,663 Air Choice One 12 each St. Louis & O'Hare, Chicago Grand Caravan 1.98 2QQJ-87~1 

extensions (9-seat plane) to 2016 I 

! -- 2012-2013, Decatur, IL 76,122 Air Choice One 18 each St. Louis & O'Hare, Chicago Grand Caravan 2.75 2QQ2-23l,)2!i,l extensions (9-seat plane) to2016 

2012·2014 Alpena, Ml 10,483 SkyWest Airlines 12 (5 & 7) Minneapolis St. Paul & Detroit CRJ-200/50 3.09 2QQ2-Q~QQ 

(50 seat jet) 

2012-2014 Lewisburg/Greenbriar Co., WV 35,480 Silver Airways (Delta) 12 to 14 Atlanta & Dulles, Wash. DC SAAB 340 3.48 2QQ~-15553 

--· ~--·~-··" -----·----·---·-··-··-·-····---·-··--- -·-·~----- ------ -·-· -------··----.---

I (34-seat Turboprop 

Plane) ------·--- ·-·····-·····-··-···"•""""""' ____ 

2012-2014 Lebanon, NH 13,151 Cape Air 24 Boston & White Plains, NY Cessna 402C/9 2.35 2QQ~-14822 

(9-seat, twin prop, 

pressurized plane)