U.S. Department -

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Ray Rapp 

N.C. House of Representatives 

16 \V~ Jones Street, Room ·1 01 3" 

Raleigh, NC 27601 

Dear Mr. Rapp: · 

Assistant Secretary 

July 3, 2012 

1200 Now Jersey Avenue. SE 

Wa~t,ington. DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by 

the Asheville Regional Airport for . a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small . 

Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I respond on 

his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service ddicicncies, particularly issues related to high airlllres or 

insuflicient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

dcticiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types or projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department, I cannot commt.!nl on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and l~tir consideration to all proposals that have been properly tiled. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT -OST -2012-0069 as a contact outside the l·ccord of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sim:crcly yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
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REPRESENTATIVE RAY RAPP 

1 18TH OISTP.ICT .... :"'.·,;, 

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The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 

400 th Street, SW Room 10200 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

June 5, 2012 

On b~half of[Name-ef Organization], we strongly support the Asheville Regional Airport's Small 

Community Air Service Development Grant, which will allow for new and improved service in the 

western region of our state .. This regipr. is growing, and enhanced air service is imperative to the 

economic vitality of the area. Quality air service aids our economy through improved access for visitors, 

tourism and is important to busines5> growth and retention . 

. The western region has a noted conn~~ction to the Denve>r m<:rket .. ·both from c; leisure and businec:s 

travel perspective. We know that 5% of inbound travelers e<Jnv~ from Colorado, and many more from 

the west. Also, significant bu:;;iness development is occurring by Colorado and western state-based 

businesses in the Western North Carolina region. Enhanced air service to and from Denver and western 

states is a po~itive fit for the cUrection of growth this regi0n.is experiencing: However, we have 

experienced the loss of low-cost air carrier AirTran rn the pa_st year, and as a result, have seen airfares 

begin to rise to levels much greater than our competitors are experiencing. 

. . ., 

The Asheville Regional Airport has put together a two-fold plan to mitigate the rising air fares they are 

experiencing due to the loss of Aii"Tran Airways thisVear. Specifically. the plan· focuses first on attracting 

another low-cost air service provider to serve the Denver market, and pl1tentially additional markets lost 

when AirTran was acquired by Southwest. Second, the plan ensures that sufficient marketing will occur 

to support the new low-fare carrier's success in the WNC market, and includes a focus on strengthening 

the newly formed travel advisory group- a consortium of business leaders, economic developers and 

tourism representatives who meet quarterly to discuss air service needs, advocacy and utilization. 

Please accept our support of the A.sheville Regional Airport's 5rant request,