# Dtfr-osr-m^-"552. 1

CIT Y O F MERCE D "Gatewa y to Yosemite '

Merce dRegiona l Airport Telephon e 209/385-687 3 Fa x 209/388-899 4 Jun e 25 , 201 0 Denni s J . DeVan y U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysis , X-5 3 W86-30 8 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Orde r No . 2010-5-4 , Orde r

Requestin g Proposal s Dear Mr . DeVany , Th e Merce dRegiona l Airpor t Authorit y (MRAA ) ha s reviewe dth e Departmen t o f Transportatio n (DOT ) 2010-5-4 , Orde r

Requestin g Proposals , a s wel l a s th e respons e b y Great Lake s Aviation , Ltd . A t aspecia l meetin g hel dJim e 22 , 201 0 MRA A commissioners , airport staff , an dintereste dcommunit y member s me t

t o discus s th e proposa l an dprovid e comment s for DO T consideration . Th e MRA A recommend s movin g forwar dwith anothe r tw o year essentia l ai r

servic e contract . Overall , MRA A Commissioner s support Great Lake s Airline s an dappreciat e airlin e senio r staf f support an d involvemen t

i n th e Merce dcommunity . However , MRA A Commissioner s unanimousl y agre e o n five area s tha t eithe r nee dimprovemen t

o r focuse dconsideration . W e believ e ou r ultimat e goal i s share db y DOT , Great Lake s Airline s an dth e City o f Merce d- - t o provid e th e regiona l communit y wit h th e bes t servic e possibl e t o encourag e greate r passenge r utilizatio n an dincreas e enplanement s t o level s expecte dfor aregio n o f

thi s size . Addressin g thes e five area s wil l hel p accomplis h ou r share dgoal . 1 . Aircraf

t Reliability . Aircraf

t reliabilit y ha s plummete dsinc e Farmington , N M becam e th e prim e maintenanc e facility an doriginatio n poin t o f aircraf t flying th e Merced/La s Vega s route . Fro mJanuar y 1 , 201 0 u p t o today , 23. 6 percen t o f schedule dflights hav e bee n cancelled . I n th e first

si x month s o f

operation , Septembe r

200 8 - Februar y 2009 , (prio r t o Farmington , N M operations ) onl y 1. 8 percen t wer e cancelled . W e furthe r not e that thi s recentl y acquire dmaintenanc e facility was purchase dfromU.S . Airways/Mes aan dservice d th e Mes aaircraf

t tha t provide dEA S servic e betwee n Merce d- Visali a- an dLa s Vegas . A s yo u wil l recall , th e Mes aflights suffere dver y hig h number s o f cancellation s for

mechanica l reasons .2 . Ou r desir e for

large r aircraf t caimo t b e ove r stated . W e realiz e EA S i s acontrac t for a minimu mo f

tw o flights aday t o amediu mo r larg e hub , 15-seat

aircraf t o r larger , etc . B y switchin g t o th e EMB-12 0 ou r enplanement s woul dincreas e exponentially . Feedbac k fro m th e communit y expresse s adesir e for a n aircraf

t wit h restroo mfacilities . I n addition , Merce d i s acommunit y with a n agin g demographic . A numbe r o f enplanement s ar e los t

b y elderl y peopl e wh o canno t

fly i n th e Beech-1900 . I n addition , th e hig h numbe r o f cancellation s du e t o mechanica l problem s ha s calle dint o questio n th e reliabilit y o f th e servic e amon g th e passenge r population . With severa l prospectiv e passenger s no w expressin g concern abou t bookin g passag e out

o f Merced , w e believ e tha t

achang e t o larger , newe r aircraf t woul db e highl y beneficia l i n winnin g bac k th e travellin g public . Th e goa l o f realizin g asignificantl y greate r numbe r o f enplanement s sufficien t

t o enabl e th e Merce dRegiona l Airport t o reac h th e 10,00 0 annua l passenge r numbe r necessar y t o qualif

y for gran t fiind s woul db e mor e readil y achieve dwit h th e large r aircraft . 3 . La s Vega s a s adestinatio n an dpreferabl y McCarra n Internationa l Airport . I n th e Great Lake s Airline s proposa l Denver , Ontario , Lo s Angeles , an dOrang e Count y ar e liste da s possibl e destination s at

Great Lake s Airline s discretion . Whil e w e are not oppose dt o addin g servic e t o Denve r

o r Souther n California , La s Vega s a s adestinatio n an dth e connection s offere dat McCarra n Internationa l Airpor t hav e worke dwel l with ou r community . Historically , w e hav e experience dth e greates t numbe r o f annua l enplanement s with La s Vega s a s th e destination . 4 . Grea t Lake s Airline s Statio n Staff . MRA A Commissioner s believ e loca l Grea t Lake s Airline s staf

f shoul db e mor e visibl e i n th e communit y an dengage di n loca l events t o includ e participation , o r

at aminimum , apresenc e a t monthl y MRA A meetings . 5 . Financia l contribution s b y Grea t Lake s Airline s towar dmarketin g schedule dservice. Advertisin g t o buil dawarenes s an dincreas e enplanement s i s expensiv e an dth e recentl y mounte dpublicit y campaig n i n support o f th e recen t

inauguratio n o f

Merce d- La s Vega s flights was time dt o maximiz e passenge r service . With recen t

problem s i n reliability , however , awarenes s o f

th e airport

an dth e airlin e ha s bee n show n i n anegativ e light . On e ide ai s t o ti e th e financial contributio n proportionall y t o aircraf t reliability . Mor e dollar s a s reliabilit y goe s dow n an dvic e versa . W e realiz e som e o f

thes e issue s ar e not

Essentia l Ai r

Servic e contrac t

considerations . A s state dearlier , ou r goa l i s t o provid e th e bes t servic e possibl e an dcontinu e t o increas e enplanement s i n ou r region . W e striv e for continuou s improvemen t i n al l area s o f

ou r airlin e servic e an dw e ar e confiden t tha t Great Lake s Airline s share s th e sam e goal . Than k yo u for you r sustaine dsuppor t

fo r th e Merce dRegiona l Airport . Respectfully , c/Jane t E . Yoim g I Chair , Merce dRegiona l Airpor t Authorit y