### Gormas, Michael 

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From: 

### Sent: To: 

### Subject:

To whom it may concern, StevenFlowers•••••• 

# n Tuesday,May06, 2014 1:39 PM EAS(OST) Bradford/Venango CountyTentative EASEligibilityTermination .:C' ,-('- .' .'~

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My name is Steven Flowers and I am currently an Air Traffic Control Specialist at the Erie, PAairport 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 asto 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, asthe 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 isover 94 miles away and nearly a two hour commute. This commute time assumes clearweather and no road construction, which is not necessarily a common occurrence, resulting in a much longertrip. Bradford is not located on the interstate system, which makes the commute much more difficult especially inWinter weatherwhile rural roads are much less likelyto be plowed and cleared in a timely manner. Also while Buffalo/Niagara does offer avariety of flights, its numberof cities it serves and frequency of the flights to the cities which is does serve has been down slightly in recentyears. 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+ hoursto the Buffalo/Niagara airport and drop them off. Also the much higherthan average snowfall and inclement weather rates in Bradford this Fall and Winter aswell as the entire Great Lakes region also resulted in manyflight 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 beenworking for over ayear now to changetheir Essential Air Servicehub from Clevelandwhich iscurrently in effect, to Pittsburgh International Airport. Many members of the community and local businessleaders haveexpressedto airport management that they would usethe EASmuch more often if Pittsburgh wasthe hub. The airport director recently stated that he estimates that there would be40 to 50 enplanements per day if Pittsburgh rather than Clevelandwasthe service hub. Ifthis change could occur it would be a much better alternative than simply eliminating the program, asestimations and evaluations byairport and city officials imply that the servicewould 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" newsthat two carriers have placed bidsto replaceSilverAirlines, who plansto discontinue service, and both carries plan to use Pittsburgh asthe new hub, which would presumably result in the increase in enplanements predicted byairport administration. California based 1Boutique 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 lastfiscalyear, the averagesubsidy perseatwas roughly $4S2. While that cost issignificant, it is not closeto the averagesubsidyin many other EASlocations which are not under consideration for termination with the recent order.
• Finallythe local economy of Bradford hasgonethrough difficult times recently with the recessionstarting in 2008, and someformer 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 EAS service in Bradford could hurt the area's ability to attract thesejobs and opportunities. And if thesejobs do return and the economy isfurther 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 orderslales lhose regional residenls can use is Pittsburgh Inlernalional. This commule isvery similar 10 Bradford 10 Buffalo however, and has many of lhe same difficullies such as lhe 93 miles, 1.5 hourdrive, often in inclemenl wealher inWinler 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. Similarto Bradford, the potential for fossil fuels makethe Venango country area potentially a largefuture economic center as Franklin is in the Pennsylvania"Oil Region Enterprise Zone", making low-interest loansavailablefor manufacturing facilities to help attract future business.
• The "Venango Country Daily News" also reported lastweek that there are four carries submitting proposalsto take over air service, and eachwould provide serviceto Pittsburgh if selected. Like Bradford, the community believesthat 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. IfVenango Countywas able and successfulto do things such aschangecarries, 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 aswell 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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