U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

.·»-':' .... • 

The Honorable Trudi \Valcnd 

N.C. House of Representatives 

Ralei-gh, NC 27603-5925. 

Dear Ms. Walcnd: 

Assistant Secretary ·- ·_, 

July 3, 2012· 

1200_Ncw Jersey A· .. cnue. SE 

Washinaton, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal sub111itted by 

the Asheville Regional Airport for.a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small 

Community Air Service Development Program. 'fhc Secretary has requested that I respond on 

his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insufficit.:nt service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitudl! in dt.:\·cloping solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides tlexibili\Y in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities inwrested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by .June II. As these grant requests arc pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to <.111 pn,posals that havl! been properly filed.· 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy or your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

S incercly yours, 

Susan L. Kurlnnd 

Assistant Secretary for 

i\ viation and lntt:rnational Affairs 
.. 

.Jftorth ([arohna ®rnt'rat gs5tm1Jlp 

rf)onS'r of l\rprrS'rntdtiur~ 

REPRESENTATIVE TlWDl WALEND 

I 13th District: Poll<, Transylvania, S. Henderson 

Office: 503 Legislative Office Building 

300 N Salisbury Street 

'Raleigh, NC 276d3·5925 

Phone: (919) 715·4466 

FAX: (919) 754-3288 

Email rrucli ll'lllcmhn1~1N\.rH"t 

District: 147 Ridgewood PL 

Brevard, NC 28712-9561 

Home: (828) 883-3790 

Email: t\\'Hlr•n<J!(i·citcom.nel 

June 5, 2012~ 

The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

400 7111 Street, SW Roon1 10200 

Washington. D.C. 20590 

Dear Sccretat:y LaHood: 

Agriculture 

Appropriations .. . ." . _ ..•. 

· Appropri<Hions Subcommittee on Jus'tkr and rublir SafetY 

· Govr:-rnmcnt · 

Judiciary 

Judidan Subcomrniltl'c B 

State P~rsonncl 

I strongly support the Asheville Regional Airport's Small Community Air Service Development Grant. 

wJ1ich wiJI allo\v for new and improved service in the \\estern region of our state. This region is gn1\\ ing. 

and enhanced air service is imperative to the economic vitality of the area. Quality air service aids our 

economy through improved access for visitors. tourism and is important to business growth and retention. 

The western region has a noted connection to the Denver market- both from a leisure and business travel 

pe1;spe~ti..¥e. We k.now that 5% of inbound travelers come from Colorado. and many more-from the west. 

Also, significant business development is occurring by Coloi·ado and \'vestern state-based businesses i11 

the Western No1th Carolina region. Enhanced air service to and ti·om Denver and western states is a 

positive Jit for the direction of growth this region is experiencing. However, \\oe have experienced the 

loss of low-cost air carrier AirTran in the past year. and as a result have seen airfares begin to rise to 

levels much greatei· than our competitors are experiencing. 

The Asheville Regional Airport has put together a two-fold plan to mitigate the rising air Hu·es they arc 

experiencing due io the loss of AirTran Aim.ays this year. Spt!cifically, the plan focuses first on 

attracting another low~cost air service provider to serve the Denver market and potentially additional 

markets lost vvhen AirTran was acquired by Soutlmcst. Second. the plan ensures that sunicicnt 

marketing will occur to support the new low-fare carrier's success in the WNC market. and includes a 

focus on strengthening the newly formed travel advisory group- a consortium of business lenders. 

economic developers and tourism representatives who meet quarterly to discuss air service needs, 

advocacy and utilization. 

Please accept my support of the Ashevill.e Regional Airpori's grant request. 

Sincerely.