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ULS.Departmen t o f . "^•'~'i?r ~ rv^r^A'i^^^ ' 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Transportatio n ' -•-•^'- ' UrtHAllOK' S Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y „., , o f Transportatio n iOi l OC T ! " ] p [j. - o n Octobe r 17,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Willia mL . El l Mayo r o f th e Cit y Burlingto n City Hal l 40 0 Washingto n Stree t Burlington , Iow a5260 1 Dea r Mayo r Ell : I woul dlik e t o updat e yo u o n th e essentia l ai r servic e situatio n at

Burlingto n an dgiv e yo u an opportunit y t o submi t

any comment s i

f yo u wish . I

n anticipatio n o f

th e en dof

th e curren t contrac t with Ai r Choic e On e o n Januar y 31 , 2012 , th e Departmen t issue d Orde r 2011-9-9 , Septembe r

14 , 2011 , t o solici t

proposal s fro mal l intereste dai r carrier s t o provid e EA S a

t Burlington , a s wel l a s Decatur , Illinois , for ane w term . I n respons e t o tha t order , w e receive dproposal s fromMulti-Aero , Inc . d/b/ aA k Choic e On e (Au " Choic e One) , th e incumbent , an dHyaimi s A k Sei-vice , Inc . d/b/ aCap e Au

- (Cap e Aii) . Copie s o f eac h proposa l ma

y b e accesse donlin e at

http://www.regulations . gov b y enterin g DOT-OST-200 1 -873 1 i n th e "Ente r Keywor do r

ID " section . Cap e Ai r propose s fou

r dail y nonsto p roun dtrip s (2 4 pe r week ) t o Lambert-St . Loui s Internationa l Airport

(St . Louis ) usin g 9-passenge r Cessn a40 2 aircraft . Th e carrie r expect s t o offe

r acode-shar e agreemen t

wit h America n Airlines . Cap e Ai r propose s an aimua l subsid y o f

$1,395,03 5 fo

r atwo-year

term , o r a n annua l subsid y o f

$1,360,89 1 for afour-yeei

r term . Ai r Choic e On e propose dseve n options , eac h operatin g with 9-passenge r Cessn aGran d Caravan aircraft . Optio n 1 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an dtw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e (th e curren t sei^vice pattern ) for

an aimual subsid y of

$1,976,87 2 (two-yea r tenii ) o r $1,917,56 6 (four-yeai

- term) . Optio n 2 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an dthre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o Chicago O'Har e fo r a n amiual subsidy o f $2,492,61 3 (two-year

temi ) o r $2,417,83 5 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 3 i s tlue e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 8 pe r

week ) to St . Loui s andthre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda

y an dweeken dto Chicago 0"Har e (1 8 pe r week) fo r a n annua l

# ^ 1 2 - subsid y o f

$2,779,51 9 (two-yea

r term ) o r $2,696,13 3 (four-yea

r temi) . Optio n 4 i s fiv e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday andweeken d(3 0 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s for

a n annual subsid y o f

$2,207,85 0 (two-year

term ) o r $2,141,61 5 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 5 i s fiv e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(3 0 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e fo r a n annua l subsid y o f

$2,624,35 4 (two-yea

r term ) o r $2,545,62 3 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 6 i s si x nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(3 6 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e for a n annua l subsid y o f

$2,853,99 0 (two-year

term ) o r $2,768,37 0 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 7 i s apackag e wit h Decatur , Illinois , that

include s 3 6 weekl y nonsto p roun dtrip s fo r Burlingto n an dDecatu r

(1 8 nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Chicago O'Har e an d1 8 nonsto p roun dtrip s to St . Louis) , fo r a n annual subsid y o f

$5,220,90 1 (two-year

term ) o r $5,168,69 2 (four-yea

r term) . Option s 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , an d7 propos e mor e servic e fo r Burlingto n than th e Departmen t solicite di

n it s reques t

fo r proposals . Pleas e not e that

th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n i

n th e proposa l d o no t

necessaril y reflec t th e average local far

e Burlingto n passenger s woul dactuall y pay , but , rather , reflec t aprorate dportio n of

th e tota l ticke t price , e.g. , th e Burlingto n - St . Loui s portio n of aBurlingto n - St . Loui s - Washington , D.C . ticke t that th e subsidize dcarrie r

woul d realize . Also , th e far

e show n i s net

o f certai n charge s suc h a s Federa l transportatio n security fees , excis e o r

ticke t taxes , an dPassenge r

Facilit y Charges . O f

course , carrier s hav e th e discretio n t o charg e fare s the y dee mappropriate , an dth e passenge r fare s presente din thi s proposal hav e bee n develope dfo r subsid y rat e computatio n purpose s only . Yo u shoul dals o not e that th e schedule s tha

t th e carrie r

ha s submitte dar e illustrativ e only , an dthat the y may mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g bank time s a t th e hub . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r carrier s t o maintai n well-time dandwell-space dflight s in orde r t o ensur e full compensation . W e as k that yo u submi t

any comment s you ma

y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t i n an y cas e n o later than Novembe r

14 , 2011 . W e wil l carefull y conside r you r comment s before w e submi t arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary fo

r adecision . Shoul dyou hav e an y question s o r

nee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t your comments , pleas e le t

u s know . 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 Kevi n Schlemme r

o f my staf f a t kevin.schlemmer@dot.go v o r 202-366-3176 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sent

to th e Airport

Directo r a t Southeas t

Iow aRegiona l Airport . Sincerely, *

Denni s J . De^/an y ^ Chief , Essentia l Ai r

Servic e