### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590



### September 19, 2013

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### The Honorable Elizabeth Warren United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Warren: 

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Thankyoufor your letter supporting the applicationsubmitted by the Wes.tover Metropolitan Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small CommunityAir Service Developn1ent Program. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficientservice; Underthe statute, the Department may make amaximum of40 grant awards each year, althoughno more than fotu· awards may be to communities in the same State
.. In.orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their.airservice deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be.funded. On June 24, the Departmentissued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 26 for applications. As these grant requests arepending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you that the Departmentwill give full 

### and fair considerationto all

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### proposals thathave beenproperly filed. As is our standard practice, I am placing acopy ofyour letter and this response 

### in. Docket DOT-OST-2013-0120 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interestin this program.

Anthony R. F oxx

# I ' : ELIZABETH WARREN

BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN f'DUCAilON, LABOR ANO PENSIONS SPECIAL COMMIITEE ON AGING

The Honorable Anthony R. United States Secretary ofTransportation United States Department ofTransportation 400 7th Street SW Washington, DC 20590 Secretary Foxx, 2013

I an1 writing in support ofthe application for funds under the Small Community Air Service Development submitted by the Metropolitan Airport, Chicopee, Massachusetts. Westover Metropolitan Airport is a from the in ammmt of $450,000 with a local matching $50,000 airport in-kind incentives of$308,330 for a total project of$808,330. used to fund marketing ofnew airline and to ensure the continued viability ofthe WestoverMetropolitan Airport is ajoint military/civilian facility which home to the United States Air Force Command's 439thAirlift Wing. Commercial service at was very successful in 2007 2008, but to jump in fuel and subsequent dissolution ofSkybus airlines, the airport saw a drop in commercial clients. The civilian airport is owned by WestoverMetropolitan Development Corporation (WMDC), a non-profit, quasi-public industrial developm.ent corporation, and is located in ofthe Pioneer Valley. Its doseproximity to Hartford, Brattleboro, Boston, and Universities and Colleges with 120,000 students makes Westover a prime location with the potential for a thriving air service market. Westover is a FAA Part 139 Air CruTier classified airport including a recently renovated full-service terminal and Transportation Security Administration equipment and facilities.

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# I l ' ELIZABETH WARREN

EDUCATION, LABOR AND f'Ef\lSlOi\16 SPECIAL COMMITTEE AGlNG

Westover is cun·ently used for public IS funds from this if could be to successfully impact on the communities proposal your most "''"''""'''"' 

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:z.abeth WatTen nited States Senator the civilian airport at 

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