# o L OrlandoSanfor d INTERNA ! ONA L A RPOR T

SANFOR D AIRPOR T AUTHORIT Y Boar d o f Director s

**** * G . Geoffre y Longstaf f Chairma n Ti m Donih j Vic e Ctiairma n Stephe n P . Smit h Secretary/Treasure r To m Bal l Boar d Membe r U . IHenr y Bowli n Boar d Membe r Davi d L . Cattel l Boar d Membe r White y Eckstei n Boar d Membe r Willia m T . Litto n Boar d Membe r Brindie y B . Pieter s Boar d Membe r A.K . Shoemake r Chairma n Emeritu s Kennet h W . Wrigh t Counse l Larr y A . Dale , C.IVI . Presiden t & CE O

**** * 

### Augus t

31 , 201 1 Aloh aLe y Associat e Director U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Ave , S E Washington , DC 2059 0 c n -i-' i --'- ^

—<—'- — rn T ^ rr i -'•'~\'-~— 5 —> - ^ T H -'^ , i QOW ^


### Re : LakelandAirport' s Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m Applicatio n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 Dea r Ms . Ley : I a mwritin g t

o correc t anumbe r of incorrec t statement s containe dwithin LakelandAirport' s applicatio n fo r consideratio n of

fundin g a s par t of th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Program . O

n Pag e 7 an

dagain on Pag e 9 o f their application , i

t i s mentionedtha

t LakelandAirpor

t i s locate dclose

r t o Disne y Worldan

dSeaWorldtha

n Orland o Sanfor dInternationa

l Airport . Thi s i s simpl y not correct . Orland

o Sanfor di s 3 4 ai r mile s fromDisney Worldwhil e Lakelandi s 38 . I

n addition , Orland

o Sanfor di s 2 9 mile s fromSeaWorldwhil e Lakelandi s 44 . Actua

l drivin g distance s var

y slightly depending on which resourc e used , but

t o sa y Lakelandenjoy s adistinc t advantag e ove

r Orland o Sanford' s relativ e proximit y to Disne

y Worldi s no t

accurat e sinc e the

y ar e generally th e same . SeaWorld , on th e othe r hand , i s unarguably a1 0 mil e shorte r driv e fromOrlando Sanford . While thes e point s ma

y see msomewha

t trivia l in considerin g Lakeland' s request , submitting suc

h basi c fact

s incorrectly seem s t

o dra w int o questio n th e credibilit

y of th e res t of th e materia

l i n their application . For

example , to asser

t th e Lakelan

d communit y lack s nonsto

p servic e t o ke y market s or

suffer s fromhigh fare s i s har

d t o tak e seriously . Roughl

y 21 0 nonstop route s exis t withi n 7 5 ai

r mile s o f Lakeland . Thes e nonstop service s ar e composedo f

adivers e blendof

"legacy" , "low-cost" , "ultr alow-cost " an dpubli c charte

r carriers . N o othe

r regio n in Florid aha s th e qualit

y o f servic e conveniently enjoye db y thos e who reside in the Lakelandcorridor . (407)585-400 0 • 120 0 Re d Clevelan d Boulevar d Sanford , Florid a 3277 3 www.OrlandoSanfordAirport.co m • Fax : (407)585-404 5Aloh aLe y

Associat e Directo r U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Augus t 31 . 201 1 Pag e 2

Further , o n Apri l 6 , 2011 , a n onlin e articl e publishe d b y th e Ne w Yor k Time s ranke d MC O # 3 an dTP A # 4 i n regar dt o th e mos t competitively
- price d larg e airport s i n th e U.S . Thi s sam e publicatio n als o ranke dPI E an dSF B th e # 1 an d # 2 mos t competitively-price d smal l airport s i n th e U.S . Base do n thi s data , i t i s fair t o sugges t

tha t perhap s n o othe r

regio n i n th e Unite d State s enjoy s suc h awid e array o f nonsto p service s at

suc h affordabl e fares .

I S Mos t CompatMtvalyPrleA d Larg * Alrpo m Fro m Amon g w aiwtes l Airport s

MC O TP A LA S M A att f OA K BV W OE M PH X JF K JA X SA H SM F Fa n LMKMrmi e Heiywii M n n (Fo n LwoeroMe , FL ) Oafw m MtcM I MamMtm M (IMwstikM . W> ) Ortsnd o hl«m«tiOM l {Ofkntfo . FL > Tamp e htematons l (Tampa . FL ) HcCarra n M«iu«on« l (L M V<«M . NV ) Mtow i McTTUMttna l OJmat , FL ) Buffat o Niaaar a nemaUona l (8«nak> . HY ) OaUan d Mamabona t (Oafclind , CA ) Babnar«waaMt«l«f i AMmallona i (SW I Aaean . uo > Ocflva rMamaUoAa l (Datvar . CO ) FluiaAe c Sl y Haffeo rfeilamalloita4 (Phaanai . AZ ) J o M F KannaO y iManwlBna l (Na w Yon . NY ) Jaoaonv * Hamalntia l (Jadcaoavfto , FL ) Sa n Oiaff o iMamattona i {Sa n Oiago . CA ) Sacrament a Memaliena l (Sacramento . CA ) anng * f a n SZ7 » S29 1 S28 4 S31 0 S32 7 S34 0 $31 » S39 9 S31 4 »32 < »34 2 $38 9 $334 S3« 3 S34 7 Fai r Fa M S37 0 »36 5 sas e $3« 3 $3T S $37 6 $35 3 $32 8 $34 3 $34 9 $36 7 $41 3 $3S S $3S S $3« 9 MMM i mmi f "'nP P ^&^S ^ ^^^ ^

' •* » •93 * •« » •*2 9 .«2 S -»2 4 •42 4 -«2 4 -*£ 3 -$2 3 1 0 Mos t Coinpwtiliv^-Prfcsm t Sno H Atrpor U

Fro m Ame m Airport * BanluOWIIIiroiiglitMBI * Origi n m d Papaftur a Trafll c

PI E SF B AZ A SC K RF O PB 6 B U HT S BK G Mt O S ) PMar>liur$.0>an»alarlnn(SaMFM<rsl>uiv
. Ft ) Ortand o Sanftrt f Intamationa l (Sanfonl , FL ) ftwante-Wasa (jalawag r(Maaa . A2 ) suctio n IMrovolla n (StadOon . CA ) Creata rl^icklon i (RacManl . L ) nMaeurg k

wanvallana l (PuaatwriR , NY ) Beangna n Mamatona l (BaangDan , tVA ) Tr>.sat a(HuntaigUM . WV) Brwiao n (Branaon . UO ) Sarasela-Bradenta n MarnaDDna ) (Saraaota . Ft ) fl M $15 2 $16 7 $18 7 $10 4 $23 4 $2« » $23 2 $22 7 $30 2 $32 0 ftn -

$39 7 $41 2 $42 7 $34 0 $46 6 $44 3 $39 1 $38 4 $40 0 $39 4Aloh aLe y

Associat e Directo r U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Augus t 31 . 201 1 Pag e 3 Lakelan dbelieve s the y shoul db e considere d for agran t du e t o "Som e citie s an d entir e region s o f th e U.S . stil l lac k

nonsto p servic e t o Centra l Florid aan d hav e averag e fare s significantl y highe r tha n d o citie s i n thei r

pee r group. " It

i s als o Lakeland' s belie f tha t th e SCAS D Gran t

Progra m was designe dfor

precisel y thei r

situation . However , i t

i s m y understandin g th e Progra mwas designe dfo

r communitie s with actua l servic e deficiencie s an d resultin g economi c hardships . Accordingly , i t

woul dsee mgreate r

need s an d mor e salien t

use s o f th e Program' s fimds mus t exist . It shoul db e note dtha t

Orland o Sanford Internationa l Airport ha s neve r

bee n th e recipien t o f aSCAS D Grant , bu t

ha s develope d it s ow n commercia l service , both domesti c an d international , o n it s ow n merits .

Larr y Dale , Presiden t an dCEO , Orland

o Sanfor dInternationa

l Airpor t (SFB )