## CIT Y O F OI L CIT Y CIT Y PLAZ A • 2 1 SENEC A STREE T OI L CITY , PENNSYLVANI A 1630 1

Mr . Denni s J . D e Van

y Chief , Essentia l Ai r Servic e Division , X-5 3 Office o f Aviatio n Analysi s U.S . Dept . o f

Transportatio n Dea r Mr . D e Vany : I a mwritin g t o yo

u i n suppor

t o f th e Gulfstrea

mInt' l Airline s proposal . Optio n On e (1) , t o provide scheduledai r

servic e t o Franklin/Oi l Cit

y (FKL) unde

r th e Essentia

l Ai r Servic e program . Franklin/Oi l Cit

y (FKL) los t

ai r servic e alon g wit

h othe r EA S communitie s i

n Ma y o f 200 8 whe n th e contracte dai r

carrie r cease doperations . Servic e wa s reinitiate do n Septembe r 3 , 200 8 wit h Gulfstrea

mInt' l Airline s operatin g a s Continenta l Connectio n through th e Continenta l Airline s hub in Cleveland , OH . The effor t t o regain th e trave l marke

t los t du e t o th e thre e month s without ai r servic e i s o n going an dsubstantial . Additionally ; th e natio n experience dth e wors t recessio n in th e pas t

fift y (SO ) year s almos t

a s soo n a s Gulfstrea

mbega n FK L service . Th e economi c "recovery " ha s been sporadi c nationwide andnegligible , thu s far , i n the Franklin/Oi l Cit

y area . Thi s region , whic h ha dbeen particularly devastate deven prior t o 200 8 due t o plan

t closing s andlayoffs , ha s bee n workin g t o reinven t it s economy . The 200 8 recessio n wa s afurthe

r setback . Jus t alitti e ove

r ayea r int o th e ne w ai r service , in Novembe

r 2009 , bega

n th e wors t

winte r in man y years . December , Januar

y an dFebruar y sa w th e ai r carrie r cancel sixty-fiv e (65 ) FK

L flights due t o weather . That' s twenty-one pe r cent o f th e FK L flight s fo

r thos e months . Additionally , th e trave l marke t was negatively impacte din 200 8 an d200 9 by th e S AR

S viru s an dth e Swin e Flu . Thes e issue s really cause daset back fo r afiagile maiket

tha t wa s alread

y shaken du e to th e los t servic e earlie

r i n th e year .

PHONE ; 814-678-301 2 • FAX : 814-678-308 6Tli e Oi l Cit y communit y support s Gul&tream' s optio n #1 servic e throug h Clevelan dan dvnl l

wori c closel y wit h th e Airpor t an dGulfstrea mthroug h th e Sav e ou r Servic e (SOS ) effor

t t o improv e passenge r

enplanement s t o agai n b e unde r th e $20 0 pe r

passenge r

cap . Th e servic e offere dusin g Clevelan da s ahu b give s thi s communit y mor e no n sto p destination s an d reasonabl e connection s an dfares . Gul&trea mha s prove n t o b e ver y custome r consciou s an dth e Continenta l Connection/Continenta l bran di s becomin g afavorit e i n thi s region . Th e Airpor t work s closel y wit h th e publi c an dth e ai r carrie r o n communicatio n an dcustome r servic e a s wel l a s providin g acos t

fre e busines s environmen t fo r th e carrier . Thes e fact s wil l mak e th e SO S effor t successful . Th e citizen s o f

Oi l Cit y Avan

t th e timely, dependabl e ai r servic e propose db y Gulfstrea man d reques t tha t th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n provid e thi s chanc e t o continu e th e rebuildin g o f thi s economy . Gulfstream' s optio n 1 ca n serv e a s ahug e stimulu s t o thi s region . Th e regio n i s experiencin g th e beginning s o f apositiv e tren di n busines s developmen t thank s t o th e har dwork

o f ou r legislator s an dcommunit y leaders . Meaningful , schedule dai r servic e i s a ke y elemen t

i n th e succes s o f

thi s venture . Thi s rura l are ashoul db e allowe dt o compet e wit h th e large r urba n area s o n aleve l plajdn g field. Viabl e conunercia l ai r servic e help s leve l tha t

playin g fieldan di s necessar y fo r

busines s developmen t

an dsustaine deconomi c growth . W e as k tha t yo u recommen dthi s proposa l t o th e Deput y Secretary . Than k yo u fo r you r wor k o n th e Essentia l Ai r

Servic e progra mo n behal f o f th e Oi l City community . Bes t Regards , Rya n T . Egglesto n Cit y Manage r