## Johnstown-Cambri aCount y Airpor t Authorit y 47 9 AIRPOR

T ROAD , JOHNSTOWN . P A 1590 4 (814 ) 536-000 2 - Fa

x (814 ) 539-578 7 Apri l 20 , 201 0 Denni s J . DcVan y Departmen t

O f Transportatio n Essentia l Ai r

Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue . S E Washington , D C 2059 0 r - — I

— d

RE : DOT-OST-2002-1144 6 DOT-OST-2002-]145 1 Dea r Mr . DeVany ; Afte r meetin g wit h official s fromColga n Air , Gulfstrea mInternationa l an dCharte r Atr Transport , an dcarefu l compariso n an dconsideratio n o f th e fou r proposal s for

HA S servic e t o Jolinstow n an d Altoona , Pa. , includin g Sovereign , th e Johnstown-Cambri aCount y Airpor t Authorit y an dth e Altoona-Blai r

Count y Airpor t

Authority , recommend s tha t Colgan , operatin g a s Unite dExpress , continvje s a s operato r

o f EA S servic e fro mJS T an dAO O fo r th e followin g reasons : 1 . **Continuity* * Colga n ha s ha dcontinuit y an dfamiliarit y o f sei-vic e sinc e Februar y 2008 , followin g amajo r

advertisin g campaig n b y th e airpor t authorit y sinc e Fal l o f

2008 , Th e recen t adjustmen t

t o th e schedul e shoul dincreas e booking s throug h mor e connections , lowe r ai r fares , an dmor e convenienc e fo r th e busines s travele r

fo r one-da y travel , beside s providin g mor e opportunitie s for

increasin g leisur e travel . 2 . **Hubs/ComTiections* * O f th e propose dhubs . Washingto n Dulle s continue s t o offe r th e mos t connection s vi aone-carrie r servic e (wit h United ) o r wit h othe r

airlines , wit h th e fewes t change s o f plane s t o mor e destinations . Near terr aan dlon g ter mviabilit y a s ahu b i s bette r for Dulle s wit h th e possibilit y o f

airlin e merger s looming . Proximit y t o Johnstow n with les s back-traxJkin g i s bette r tha n CleveUmd . Fligh t

tim e t o Dulle s i s slightl y longe r tha n t o Pittsburgh , bu t

shorte r tha n t o Cleveland . 3 . •*Schedules/Coiutcctions* * O f th e propose dschedule s fo r initia l service , th e othe r carrie r option s provid e citlie r

fewe r flight s o r

les s seatin g capacit y t o Cleveland , Pittsburgh , o r Washingto n Dulles , tha n currentl y availabl e vi aColgan , o r tha t wa s availabl e whe n Colga n las t Boarx i o f Authorit y Richar dWeaver , Chainiiai i RaymojK l Pojscl i Charle s Moycr . Secretar

y Jonathan Gleason , Asst . Seci-etar y Ijirry Hoove r Willia mPoliicck , V«: e Chairman S dCemic , Sr . Treassuir

r iiinoth y C . l.evctwiy , Solicito r L . Robc n Kimball , Engineer Cjeorg e Arcuiio . C'onuniissione

r Represcuiativ c Scot t Voelker , Airpor

t Operation s Directo roperate da s USAirway s Expres s t o Pittsburg h wit h mor e onlin e cod e shar e connectin g flights availabl e a

t that time . Propose dschedule s t o Pittsburg h vi aGulfstrea mo r Charte r Ai r Transport woul dno t necessaril y maxiiniz e connectio n potential with multipl e carrier s v s aone-carrie r hub operatio n a

t Dulles , an dals o with option s o f connectin g t o man y othe r carrier s dotnesticall y an d internationally . Anothe r

connectio n woul dofte n b e require dafter connectin g a

t Pittsburg h o r Cleveland , o r

b y usin g anothe r

carrie r ou t o f Dulles , t o th e man y destination s tlia t iir e curreiitl y availabl e o n Unitcd' s non-stop s fro mDulles . Gulfstreamca n provid e one-carrie r

connection s a

t Cleveland , but

t o fewe r non-sto p destination s an drequirin g mor e back-tracking . Charte r Ai r Transpor t woul db e a

t adisadvantag e a t

Dulle s withou t

acode-shar e agreemen t

wit h United , th e larges t carrie r there , whic h i s alread y i n plac e wit h Colgan . Saturda y servic e i s limite do r non existen t wit h th e othe r

carrie r options , whic h woul dmak e leisur e trave l difficult . 4 . •*Agreements/Ticketing/Baggage* * Interlin e Ticketin g an dBaggag e Agreement s ar e alread y in plac e wit

h Colgan an dUnite dan dothe r carrier s a t Dulles , beside s a

n Intercormectin g Flight Agreemen t

wit h United , an dJoin t

Priciti g Agreements . Thi s provide s seamles s trave l vi aUnite d throug h it' s multipl e Star Allianc e partne r

airlines , domesticall y an dinternationally ; advance d reservations , automate dcheck-in , ticketing , an dbaggag e processes ; an dacces s to United' s Mileag e Plu s Program , with reciproca l usag e o n Sta r Allianc e partners , includin g Continenta l an d US.Airway s domesticall y an dinternationally . Thi s networ k ha s take n year s t

o establis h an dwoul d b e difficul t

t o duplicat e with ane w carrie r startin g commute r

ai r service , 5 . **Fares* * Comparin g through-fare s o n Colga n andUnite dt o th e add-o n fare s propose db y th e othe r carrier s i n conjimctio n wit h th e connectin g carrie r doe s no t giv e agrea t

advantag e in lowe r ai r fares , eve n whe n connectin g t o som e o f th e low-cos t

carrier s at

Pittsburgh . Man y through

fare s o n th e man y connection s vi aUnite d^ t Dulle s ar c lowe r

than usin g multipl e carrier s vi a Pittsburgh , o r

vi aanothe r

carrie r fro mJohnstow n t o Dulles . Connectin g t o som e o f th e low-cos t carriers , an dSouthwes t

bein g th e secon dlarges t

carrie r at Pittsburgh , woul dals o requir e separat e bookin g an dticketing , an dwoul drequir e separat e local airport o r carrie r arrangement s fo

r handlin g interlinin g o f

baggage . Thi s woul dcreat e som e confusio n t o th e unseasone dtraveler , an dwoul drequir e re-educatin g th e publi c o n th e ai r servic e availabl e fromJolmstown . Althoug h a n add-o n far

e o n th e "spoke " le g to/fro mth e hu b ma y no t hav e an y restrictions , th e far e rule s an d restriction s o f

th e connectin g carrier' s fare woul dstil l apply . 6 . •*Aircraft* * Colgan' s aircraf t ar e large r

with afligh

t attendan t an dlavatory . Charte r

Ai r Transpor t als o provide s alarge r

aircraf t wit h flight attendan t an dlavatory . A longe r

flight tim e to Clevelan dcoul db e uncomfortabl e fo r som e withou t

alavatory . 7 . **Experience* * Colgf mha s alon g histor y o f

schedule dcommute r

ai r service. Trainin g an d set-u p o f operation s fo

r ane w carrie r

woul db e extensive , 8 . **Financial* * Colga n an dparen t Pinnacl e ar e currentl y financially stabl e fromou r investigation .

Boar dn f Atithority i<icbar J Weaver , Chainiia n Raymoft dPoisc h • • Cliarle s Moy«' , Secretary Jonatha n Glcason . Asst . Secretary I jin- y Hoove r Willlan ! Potatek , Vic e Chaiitna n E dCetnic , Sr . Treasure r rimotJiyC . Leventiy . Solicito r L . Robert Kimball , F.nginee

r Georg e Arcurio , Comjnissione r Representativ e Scott Voelker , Airpor

t Operation s Directo rSome o f th e option s offere db y th e othe r proposal s woul ddefinitel y b e somethin g t o consider i n th e ftjture, o r

a s asupplemen t

to schedule dservic e unde r th e EA S program , but

w e fee l continuatio n o f

th e curren t

.service, ' wit

h th e possibilit y o f

a n increas e o f

servic e in a

n improvin g economy , i s ou r

bes t optio n a t thi s time . We woul dappreciat e you r seriou s consideratio n o f

ou r recommendatio n fo

r awardin g Colga

n Air , operatin g a s Unite dExpress , th e contrac t for continue dai r

servic e at th e Johnstown-Cambri a Count y Airpor t andth e Altoona-Blai r

County Aii-port . Sincerely , 

## A^^^^4==.^J ^ RichardE . Weave r Chairman Johnstown-Cambri aCount y Airpor t Authority XyAy\. . ^^'- ^ ' • ^^%^ \ Mr . Donal dA . Rugger

y Chairman Blair County Airpor

t Authorit y

cc : Mik e Colgan , Colga n Ai r Scot t Voelker , JS T Charie s Pillar , AO O

Boar do f Auihorit y RichardWeaver , Chainnar i Raymon dPorsc h Charie s Moyer . Secretar

y Jotuithan Gloascn , Ass t

Secretar y I.aiT y Hoove r Willia mPolacck , Vic e Chainnai i E dCcmic . S r

, Treasure r Timoth y C , Ixsvcnfry , Solicito r L . Rober t Kimball , Engineer Georg e Arciirio , Commissione r Representativ e Scot t Voelker , Airpo n Optinilion s Directo r