### Martin, Michael (OST)
From: Sent: To: Subject:

To Whom ItMay Concern: Janet Buckingham <moabjanet@gmail.com> Tuesday, February 03, 2015 9:17 PM EAS (OST) Comment on Essential Air Service Moab, Utah . ,-· ,-..

I am writing to comment on the Essential Air Service contract for Canyonlands Field in Moab, Utah. I stronglyrecommend this contractbe givento anyone but Great Lakes Aviation. I would suffer the slight inconvenience offlying in a smallerplane and landing outside security in Salt Lake over suffering through any kind ofpromise of"service" from Great Lakes Aviation. First, Moab needs air serviceto and from Salt Lake City, not Denver. People in Moab conductbusiness in Salt Lake, not Denver. People in Moab schedule surgeries and specialist medical appointments in Salt Lake or Grand Junction, CO, not Denver. Great Lakes Aviation has promised the use oflargerplanes because they have seen an increase in enplanements in Moab while Sky West was flying. Whatthey fail to realize is that enplanements increased because Sky West was flying to Salt Lake, not Denver. I guarantee that bookings will immediately decline backto previous numbers ifGreat Lakes gets the contract and flies to and from Denver. Second, Great Lakes Aviation is unreliable. I don't knowwhat percentage oftheir flights actually get cancelled due to mechanical or other mysterious excuses, but holding a ticket on their airline is tantamount to dropping money into a slot machine inVegas or setting fire to a $200 bill. It has always been a gamble whether ornot they would fly. Itis commonknowledge throughout Grand County that Great Lakes service is ajoke. Actually, having spent hours/days in the Denver airport waiting to hearwhether or not they would fly on any given day, it is clearthat everyone in the greater Denver area feels the same way about GreatLakes Aviation. As a former director oftourism for Kodiak Island and a former member ofthe State ofAlaska Tourism Board, I understand flying to and from remote destinations. Ihad years ofexperience flying inplanes ofall sizes to and from Alaska and throughout the state ofAlaska with a variety ofcarriers, many ofwhom had EAS contracts. They all showed a level ofprofessionalism, customer service, and follow-through that is completely lacking in Great Lakes Aviation. I will spare you the multiple bad experiences Ipersonally had flying in and out ofMoab with Great Lakes, but let mejust say I burned a lot ofvacationtime inthe Denver airport waiting for Great Lakes to decide whether or notthey would fly. Another time we gave up trying to fly into Moab and rented a car and drove

...all thanks to Great Lakes. Moab's economic engine is tourism. There could be nothing worse for the economy ofGrand County than awarding an Essential Air Service contractto Great Lakes Aviation. Give the contractto Redtail Aviation and then do the work to expandthe runway and improve the airport at Canyonlands Field so that someone with a link to a major carrier canreturn andprovide the good service that Sky West did. Iurge youto listen to the people ofMoab who have had years ofpoor service with Great Lakes Aviation; we personally won't fly with them and it does visitors to our county a disservice to let them believe they will actually arrive in Moab in a timely manner, ifat all. Sincerely, Janet and Robert Buckingham
1