U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

ot Transportation 

Mr. L. Anthony Wise, Jr. 

President 

Pellissippi State Community College 

10915 Hardin Valley Road 

P.O. Box 22990 

Knoxville, TN 37933 

Dear Mr. Wise: 

""". ,·-· F'-

i i t 

Assistant Setre!CJrf' 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by the 

Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority for a grant under the U.S. Depmiment of 

Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. Secretary Foxx asked 

that I respond to you 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 and 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

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

provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the 

statute provides flexibility in the types of air service development projects that can be funded. 

On June 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 31 for applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any 

particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will give full and fair 

consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our standard practice, I an1 placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT -OST -2014-0113 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
PELLISSIPPI STATE 

CoMMUNITY CoLLEGE 

August 14. 2014 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

United States Department ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington. DC 20590 

RE: Docket DOT-OST-2014-01 13 

Dear Secretary Foxx: 

OFFICE OF THE PRESlDENT 

This letter is written to encourage the Departmcnt"s approval of the application submitted by the 

Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority and the Competitive Airfare Partnership in response to 

the 2014 Small Community Air Service Development Grant program. 

Average airfares at Knoxville have historically been well-above the national average. These high 

airline f~u·es have been a burden on our budget and local business. have stymied economic 

development, and have forced both local and visiting leisure travelers to either drive or not travel at 

all. 

Knoxville's grant application seeks to address this issue by increasing airline competition at 

McGhee Tyson Airport. [fthe grant application is approved, Knoxville will be able to recruit and 

provide startup marketing support for new low-fare airline service at our airport. The impact·of the 

additionallow-tlu·e flights will be dramatic and immediate. 

I hope that the Department will help the entire East Tennessee region reduce the cost of air travel 

lor business. government, and leisure travelers by approving Knoxvillc"s Small Community Air 

Service Development Grant application. 

PELLlSS!Pl'l STATE C0~1MUNITY COLLEGE 865.694.6616 

" ~!.LEY ROAD • P.O. Box 22990 • KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37933-0990 www.pstcc.edu 

AN AA/EEO COLLEGE