### .o.^^ ^
__ ___ . .-^ARTMENTO r 

# m ^ TH E SECRE"fV\R Y O F TRANSPORTTCTIO N ; iNSPuRWIO N I WASHINGTON , D.C

. 20590 Al i OPERAnON S


## ^ : 3 0 "j^^^fT^ * Septembe r 09 , 201 1 , , -;-. . r^ ^



### Th e Honorabl e Cath

y McMorri s Rodger s U.S
. Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , DC 2051 5 Dea r Congresswoma

n Rodgers : Than k yo u fo r your letter supportin g th e proposa

l submitte db

y th e Spokan e Aiiport

Boar dfo r a gran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Program
. The Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dt o hel

p smaller communitie s addres s ai r

servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an

dinsufficien

t service
. Unde

r th e statute , th e U.S
. Department o f Transportatio n ma

y mak e amaximumo f

4 0 grant award s eac h year , although n o more tha n 4 ma y b e t o communitie s i

n th e same State
. I

n orde r t o provid e communitie s wit

h latitud e i n developin g solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statute allow s significan

t flexibility i

n ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used
. O n July 1 , th e Department

issue da n order requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste din receivin g a gran t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s ar e pendin g befor e the Department , 1 JUT

J 

### sure yo u understan dtha

t 1 cannot commen t on th e merit s o f

any particula

r proposal
. 1 ca

n assurc you , however , tha t th e Departmen

t will giv e ful

l consideratio n t o al l proposal s tha

t hav e been properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy o f

your letter andthi s respons e i

n Docket DOT-OST-20 1 l-O l 1 9 a s acontac t oiUsid e tli e recor do f thi s matter . I appreciat e your interes t i n thi s program . I

f 1 ca n provid e furtji^nforg^o n or assistance , pleas e fee

l free t o call me .CATH Y McMORRI S RODGER S 5t! t DiEtBici , WASHINGTO N
ENERG Y AN D COMMERC E SuOCOMMirTE E O N HEAtT M SuBCOMMinei : O N ENERO Y AN P POWE R

SuecoMMirrt e O N ENVIHOMMS W AN D ECONOM V 

### S I 0-110808-01 3



# Congres^ g of

ti) e Mnitt h States ?

REPUBLtCA N CONFERENC E

VIC E CHAI R DEPUT Y WHI P Augus t 02
. 201 1 AOAM S ASOTS N COLUMfii A Fenn v GAnriEt o LlNCOt H OKANOOA N PEN O OwtllL E STOKAN t STt-VtN S WAU A WAIU A WHITMA N Til e Honorabl e RaymondH
. LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S
. Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Re ; OST-20M-0II 9 Applicatio n ofSpokan e International Airpor t ' Dea r Secretar y LaHood , Thi s lette r i s i n suppor t o f th e Greate r

Spokan e Community' s gran t applicatio n t o recrui t

nonsto p servi< » fro mSpokane International Airpor t t o Lo s Angele s andth e greater Souther n Californi aregion. Easter n Washingto n ha s been an dcontinue s to b e avita l hub to th e Pacifi c Northwest
. Specifically , Spokane i s th e key commercia l cente r i n Easter n Washingto n andi s acritical gatewa y t o important vacatio n area s i

n Nort h Idah o an dWester

n Montana
. T o tha

t end , th e lack

o f nonsto p flights fromLo s Angele s an

dSouther n Californi ai s amajo

r economi c detriment

to th e region
. Additionally , ove r

th e las t decade
. Easter

n Washington ha s witnesse dth e migratio n o f businesse s fro

m th e greate r I^ s Angele s are aseekin g amor e progressiv e busines s climat e an dhighe r qualit y o f life
. Thus , nonstop servic e fro

mSpokan e t o Lo s Angele s ^ d Souther n Californi awoul dfurther promote busines s venture s between thes e tw o region s o f th e country . I n lookin g fo

r way s t o gro w Spokan e Internationa l Airport , bot

h th e communit

y an dAirpor

t hav e joine d togethe r t o recrui t acarrie r t o provid e servic e fro

mSpokan e to Lo s Angele s an dth e greate r Souther n Californi aregion
. I

n examinin g th e dat aan

dtraffi c potential , w e believ e Spokan e ca n provid e th e passenge r traffi c t o mak e thi s rout e successful
. Whil e over 300,00 0 passenger s annuall y trave l between th e Lo s Angele s basi n an

dSpokane , thi s gran

t i s necessar

y t o provid e tli e targe t

carrie r wit h arisk-ofTse

t to begi n service
. I as k tha t ful l consideratio n b e give n t o thei r application
. I

f you hav e any question s pleas e d o no t hesitate t o contac t m y office
. Sincerely ,
Cathy McMorri s Rodger s Membe r o f Congres s

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