U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretory ofTransportation

Mr. Mark E. Hanna Executive Director Springfield Airport Authority 1200 Capital Airport Drive Springfield, IL 62707
Dear Mr. Hanna: Assistant Secretary



### AUG 25 

### 20!4 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by Springfield Airport Authority for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. Secretary Foxx asked that 1respond 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 of40 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 inthe types ofair service development projects that can be funded.
On June 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 31 for applications. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cmmot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. 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 amplacing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2014-0113 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

Susan 

### L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International AffairsJuly 29,2014

Honorable Anthony Foxx Secretary US Department ofTransportation 1200 New JerseyAvenue, S.E. Washington, D.C

.. 20590 RE: Abraham Lincoln CapitalAirport (SPI), SpringfieldIL Mark E. Hanna, A.A.E., Executive Director Springfield Airport Authority

Small CommunityAir Service Development Program Application Docket DOT-OST-2014-0113
Dear Secretruy Foxx: Abraham Lincoln CapitalAirport located in Springfield, IL has realized a significant decline innetwork airline service as measuredin terms ofavailable seats and number ofdaily flights operated during the pastdecade. Moreover, Springfield's domestic average fare was recently measured to be over 18% higher than the national average. These circumstances have resulted in the market experiencinghigh volumes of passengers lealdngto alternative facilities. This gradual decline in network air carrier service is contradictozy to theregion's healthy economy and growingpopulation base. The Springfield AirportAuthority, owner and operator ofAbrahamLincoln Capital Airport, maintains an excellent workingrelationship with the City ofSpringfield, Sangamon County and the Greater Springfield Area Chamber ofCommerce. The public-private partnership and collaborative spirit that exists among these entities and countless others has resulted in numerous success stories benefiting our community. Itis with these partnerships thatwe bring this application to curbpassenger leakage, increase passenger activity on ourincumbentnetwork air carriers and improve the general awareness ofthe local airport: throughou.t our community. We areproposing a detailed two year air service community engagement planwith specific core elements that are designed to increase awareness to a broad and diverse audience. This planwill use new and traditional methods to achieye the goal of increasingpassengerenplanements on itsincumbentnetwork air carriers at

### a rate of no less than three percent perquarter as compared to the same period the previous year. Itis felt thatwe must continue to grow ourlocal passengerbasewithin our catchment areato keep strong demand in place as airlines seekto purge 50 seat regional aircraft from their fleets in the nearfuture. This pl?TI- will help position our community to be able 

### to meet the demand necessary 

### to fill larger regional aircraft as it is anticipated they will be deployed to regional markets in comingyears.

1200 Capital Airport Drive • Springfield, Illinois 62707 217-788-1060 • 217-788-8056 (Fox) • www.flyspi.com .IHonorable Anthony Foxx July 29,2014 Page2

The Springfield Airport Authority has an excellent trackrecord ofbeing able to quickly implement projects that have received grantfunding, successfully achieve project goals and close them outin a timely fashion. Should we be awarded a grant, we will be able to begin the implementation ofour plan immediately. We thankyou in advance for your favorable consideration ofthis application.