Gormas, Michael (OSn

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To whom it may concern,

StevenFlowers •••••• n

Tuesday,May 06,2014 1:39 PM

EAS(OST)

Bradford/Venango County Tentative EASEligibility Termination

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My name is Steven Flowers and I am currently an Air Traffic Control Specialist at the Erie, PA airport tower and

approach control. I am writing in regards to the recent tentative order regarding termination of EASeligibility

for 13 locations dated April 24th, 2014. I am specifically writing in regards to the Bradford, PA regional airport

and Franklin/Oil City (Venango County), PA regional airports, and would like to share some ideas as to why

these communities should continue to have the subsidized flights despite failing to meet the initial

requirements last fiscal year. Removing these flights would cause damage to members of the community who

do depend on them, and could also hurt emerging economic opportunities in those areas. Each of these

airports are scheduled to be eliminated because they did not average at least 10 enplanements per day, and

are within 150 miles of a medium or large sized hub, as the report states. While I am much more familiar with

the Bradford airport situation as it is an airport which Erie approach control works flights in and out of several

times a day, in researching the subjects I have found many common reasons why each airport should have

their service continued:

Bradford

• Bradford's medium sized hub which customers can commute to is listed as Buffalo/Niagara International

airport. This airport while within the 150 mile radius on its most direct driving route is over 94 miles away and

nearly a two hour commute. This commute time assumes clear weather and no road construction, which is not

necessarily a common occurrence, resulting in a much longer trip. Bradford is not located on the interstate

system, which makes the commute much more difficult especially in Winter weather while rural roads are much

less likely to be plowed and cleared in a timely manner. Also while Buffalo/Niagara does offer a variety of flights,

its number of cities it serves and frequency of the flights to the cities which is does serve has been down slightly

in recent years. This often crates another connection and leg of travel for Bradford commuters in addition to the

long drive. Long term parking, which is sometimes free or relatively inexpensive at the Bradford airport, cost more

in Buffalo and would be an additional forced cost for commuters who did not have someone to drive them the 2+

hours to the Buffalo/Niagara airport and drop them off. Also the much higher than average snowfall and inclement

weather rates in Bradford this Fall and Winter as well as the entire Great Lakes region also resulted in many flight

cancellations connected to the EAS program, this played a role in the reduction of average enplanements last

fiscal year.

• City of Bradford and airport and local officials have been working for over ayear now to changetheir Essential

Air Servicehub from Clevelandwhich is currently in effect, to Pittsburgh International Airport. Many members

of the community and local business leaders haveexpressedto airport management that they would usethe

EASmuch more often if Pittsburgh was the hub. The airport director recently stated that he estimates that

there would be 40 to 50 enplanements per day if Pittsburgh rather than Clevelandwas the service hub. If this

change could occur it would be a much better alternative than simply eliminating the program, asestimations

and evaluations by airport and city officials imply that the service would be utilized by many more citizensand

move the average number of enplanements well above current threshold numbers.

• It was recently reported in "The Bradford Era" news that two carriers haveplaced bids to replace SilverAirlines,

who plans to discontinue service, and both carries plan to use Pittsburgh as the new hub, which would

presumably result in the increase in enplanements predicted by airport administration. California based

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Boutique Airlines and Florida basedSunAirlines are the two carriers reported to have placed bids, which would

replace SilverAirlines which the airport hasbeen experiencing difficulties with for years, contributing to the

decreased enplanement numbers.

• The Bradford annual subsidy is listed at roughly $1.94 Million, with 4,292 enplanements last fiscal year, the

averagesubsidy per seat was roughly $4S2. While that cost is significant, it is not closeto the averagesubsidy in

many other EASlocations which are not under consideration for termination with the recent order.

• Finally the local economy of Bradford hasgone through difficult times recently with the recessionstarting in

2008, and some former long term employers in the region eliminating jobs or leaving. Bradford hasbeen

discussedhowever in association with expanded fracking, oil shale,and other potential economic booms

regarding energy and manufacturing. Eliminating EASservice in Bradford could hurt the area's ability to attract

these jobs and opportunities. And if these jobs do return and the economy is further developed, it will

logistically be much harder to reapply and havethe EASprogram reinstated once eliminated then havethe

program extended, even on atemporary basispossibly in advanceof the new economic development.

Franklin/Oil City

• The Franklin/Oil Cily (Venango County) hub lhallhe lenlalive order slales lhose regional residenls can use is

Pittsburgh Inlernalional. This commule is very similar 10 Bradford 10 Buffalo however, and has many of lhe same

difficullies such as lhe 93 miles, 1.5 hour drive, often in inclemenl wealher in Winler monlhs.

• Venango Regionalairport isone of the more isolated EssentialAir Serviceairports in Pennsylvania. It draws

from several smaller but significant towns, like Oil City, Franklin and others. Similar to Bradford, the potential

for fossil fuels make the Venango country area potentially a large future economic center as Franklin is in the

Pennsylvania"Oil RegionEnterprise Zone", making low-interest loansavailable for manufacturing facilities to

help attract future business.

• The "Venango Country Daily News" also reported last week that there are four carries submitting proposals to

take over air service, and each would provide serviceto Pittsburgh if selected. Like Bradford, the community

believes that this will also increaseenplanements and activity at that airport.

• At roughly $1.29 Million, the subsidy isone of the lowest received for airports in the EssentialAir Service

program operating in the continental United States. If Venango County was able and successfulto do things

suchas changecarries, change hubs, and other methods to expand use,the averagesubsidy per enplanement

could be one of the lowest in the EASprogram.

There has been bipartisan support for upholding the Essential Air Service in the Bradford and Venango County

areas. U.S. Senator Bob Casey, D-PA, was quoted in "The Bradford Era" paper discussing how critical having

quality and reliable air service is in developing local economies. Also Congressman Glenn Thompson, R-PAwas

quoted in the same article speaking how issues with the current air carrier has had a serious impact on

enplanements in the recent past and reinforced how important Essential Air Service is to Bradford.

While I am certain that airport officials and local government officials in Bradford and Venango County have

been in contact with much more detailed plans and reasons why Essential Air Service should be retained in

those communities, please recognize that myself and many others as well in the regional aviation community,

even many people outside of the areas immediately effected, support the Essential Air Service program and

favor its continuation to serve smaller rural communities and help provide the tools to re-develop and grow

their economy.

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