### U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation



### Mr. Ken R. Spirito. A.A.E. Executive Director · Assistant Secretary 

### July 3, 2012



### ·NewportNc\vs/Williamsburg International Airport

900 Bland Blvd

.. Suite 

### 0 Newport News, VA ·

### 23602-4319
Dear

## Mr. Spirito: ... .**·~**•.

. 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washinfjton, DC 205()0

.,::..-:. 

### ...

### ..



### 'Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary L<ll-food suppot1ing the proposal siibniitfed

# by the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department'of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that l respond on his behalf
The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service ddiciencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute. the Department may make a 

### maximum of40 grant awards each ye.ar, although no 

### more than4 awards may be t0 

### communities .in the 1-inmo-State. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides llcxibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. 

## Qn May 15. 

### theJ!epart,ment issued 

## an order requesting that communities intcrcs_tcdin**~cceiving** 

## a grant this year tile their applications by June II. As these grant requests are pending before·the Department. Icannot comment on the merits ofany particular proposal. Iassure you that the Department will give full and 

### fi1ir consideration to all proposals that have been properly tiled.
As is our normal practice, I 

### am placing a

### copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as 

### a contact outside the record ofthis matter. Iappreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours.



### Susan L. 

### Kl.1rland Assistant Secretary f(Jr Aviation and International Afll1irsJum: 11,2012

The Honorable Ray II. LaHood Sccn.:tary NfWI'e>l1l NEWS VIII LlAMSfJUfJ'--" 

### I :1 

### I [**~** 

### ,'Ud I0/1 Ji 

### I 1\ I RPlH f

United States Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. \Vnshington, D.C. 20590
RE: Newport Ncws/Willi:unshurJ.!**lnt~rnational** Airport Small Community Air Service Dcvdopmcnt <;rant Application DOT Docl<ct DOT-OST-2012-01Jb9
Dear Secret:uy LaHood,
Encluscd is 

### our application 

### Ulldl!r thu Small Community Air Service Development Urant progzan1. ;\s you will find in the application, the Newport News/\Villiamsburg lnt<:rnational :\irport (PI IF) has ut1Je:,·gone a signitlcant rl.!duction in ckparting sealcapacity as a direct result-ofthe nctjttisition oft\irf'ran Airwnys by Southw<:st Airlines :md tlw**d~:cision** to terminate service inh) the PHF market. Further exacerbating the lost scat capacity was a competitivo response from Delta Air l-incs to down-gauge aircraft serving the PHr market. This has had unlortunntc negative ramilications including the elimination of75 full time equivalent airpwi, airline, concession and TS/\ employees and a $150 million reductinn in total ccono111ic impact.. · . ,.. ()m**tlhj~.:ctivc** is to n.:placc lost nonstop**~crvict:** to NL:w York and lhlston n1arkct:;. We :dso (lt;sirc to increase: our huh conuectivity by**·.vo;·kin~** with LS :\irways to up-gauge aircrai't into their Charlotte hub and working with otiH.:r carriers to provide nottstop !1ights to**Chic<~go** U'llarc and/or Dallas-Ft. \V\lrth. Towards this, our grant request 

### i:; tor $2,000,000 to be u:;.::d for rcwnuc guarantees. The lncnl community and airport arc ready and willing to invl!st :ill ,600,000 inmatdting funds.
We hope you and your
. .;taft'rccognizc the tlH:nts ot'our application ;tnd the many bcndits it will bring t11 the**n~sidcnts** nnd businesses in Southeast Viq1.inia. We thank you !(n· yom time and c0nsidcration and :1pplaud the LJcpartmL:nl tor continuit1g this vital program for small con1munitics.



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Kclif(spirito, A.AE. E:-;ccutivc Director