& US.D«partm«ntO f 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E TtansportOtio n ^ ^ ^ ^^. ^ • -MWoshington , D C 2059 0 , ^ , Jun e 22 , 201 0 - • Offic e o f th e Secretar

y otTransportotto n Gar y J . Thompso n Worlan dMunicipa

l Airpor t Airpor t Manage r 143 8 Airpor

t Rd . Worland , W

Y 8240 1 Dea r Mr . Thompson , I woul dlik

e t o update yo u o n th e essentia l ai r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Larami e Regional Airpor

t an dWorlan dMunicipal Airpor t an d giv e yo

u a n opportunit

y t o offe r an y comment s o n th e recor dbefor e w e submi t arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affairs . A s yo u know . Grea t Lake s Aviatio n Ltd. , operatin g a s bot

h aUnite dAirline s an d Frontie r Airline s cod e shcir

e partne r (Great Lakes) , i s th e curren t

EA S provide r

a t your community , an d thei r

contrac t expire s Septembe r

30 , 2010 . I n anticipatio n of that , w e issue d Orde r

2010-5-14 , Ma

y 12 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fromcarrier s intereste d i n providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two yea r period , beginnin g Octobe r 1 , 2010 . In respons e t o ou r request , tw o carrier s responded : Grea

t Lake s an dSovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . Yo u shoul dhav e receive dacop y o f th e proposal s fromeac h carrier , an d the y ca n b e accesse da

t www .regulations . go v b y enterin g th e number s DOT-OST-1997-295 8 for Larami e andDOT-OST-1997-298 1 fo r Worlan d in th e searc h block . A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e the mhere . Grea t Lake s ha s propose don e servic e optio n fo r eac h communit

y t o b e considere d a s stand-alon e bids , bot

h usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf

t 190 0 aircraft . Th e servic e t o Larami e woul db e thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an d fou r roun d trip s eac h weeken d (1 9 aweek) to Denver

fo r a n annual subsid y of

$1,181,572 . Th e servic e t o Worlan d woul d b e tw o roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an d weeken d (1 2 aweek ) ove r aWoriand-Cheyenne

Denver , Worland-Laramie-Denver , o r Worland-Denver

routin g fo

r $1,770,336 . A t Worland , Sovereig n Ai r

woul d provid e thre e roun d trip s Monday-Friday , an d four weeken droun dtrip s (1 9 aweek ) ove r aWorland-Laramie-Denver routin g fo

r a n armua l subsidy o f $2,151,671 . At

Laramie , Sovereig n Ai r

woul d provid e th e 1 9 roun d trip s a wee k describe dabove , plu s 1 6 additiona l nonsto p roun d trip s aweek fo r atotal o f 5 dail y nonsto p roun dtrip s (3 5 aweek ) for a n annual subsidy of

$2,361,671 . Unde

r it s Optio n 1 , al l servic e woul db e wit

h 9-sea t Kin g Ai r aircraft . Under

it s Optio n 2 , Sovereig n woul d us e a19-sea

t Beechcraf

t 190 0 o n th e Larami e flight s tha t d o no t servic e Worlan d an d a9

- sea t Kin g Air aircraf t o n al l othe r

flights . W e note tha

t th e 9-sea t Kin g Ai r aircraf t doe snot mee t th e 15-or-more-passengcr-seat standard require d b y ou

r governin g statue s (4 9 U.S.C . § 41732(b)(3 ) an d(b)(6)). I f th e communitie s indicat e thei r willingnes s to waiv e thei r righ t t o receiv e EA S wit

h 15-sea t o r larger aircraft , w e wil l conside r

th e waiver

t o appl y onl y t o th e ne w two-yea r ter munder consideratio n a

t thi s time (i.e. , w e woul d no t assum e tha

t th e communitie s waiv e thei r right s in perpetuity. ) Further , Sovereig n Ai r doe s no t currentl y hav e th e requisit e operatin g authorit y fromeithe r

th e Departmen t

o r th e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n t o provid e schedule d ai r service , althoug h i

t ha s submitte dapplications . Th e schedule s tha

t th e carrier s hav e propose d ar e illustrativ e onl y and the y ma y make schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r meet shiftin g connectin g ban k time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai r

carrie r t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space d flight s i n order t o ensur e ful

l compensation . W e reques t

tha t yo u revie w th e proposal s an d submi t an y comment s you ma

y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t

n o late r than Jul y 21 . W e wil l carefull y conside r your comment s befor e w e submi t

arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y for adecision . Pleas e sen dyou

r comment s vi ae-mai l t o EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f you hav e an

y questions , pleas e feel fre e t o contac t Michae l Marti n o f

m y staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366-6494 . Sincerely , Denni s J . DeVany , Chie f Essential Air

Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s cc : Michae l Matthews , Great Lake s Aviation , Ltd . Jo n Payne , Sovereig n Air , Inc .