### U.S. Department - of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation



### The Honorable Ray Rapp N.C. House ofRepresentatives 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 youfor your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the Asheville Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation'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 of40 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 orprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the Department issued an orderrequesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pendingbefore the Department, I cannot commt.!nl on the merits ofany 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 ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside thel·ccord ofthis 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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## j.li.rgr5latHJr'**:~Hntfoing ~{all'iHl!,** **.~ill** Z7GOl-1091.1 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

DearSecretary LaHood: 

### June 

### 5, 2012

On**b~half** of[Name-efOrganization], we strongly supportthe Asheville Regional Airport's Small Community Air Service DevelopmentGrant, which will allow for new and improved service in the western region ofourstate
.. This regipr. is growing, and enhanced airservice is imperative to the economic vitality ofthe area. Quality air service aids our economythrough improved access for visitors, tourism and is importantto 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 inboundtravelers**e<Jnv~** from Colorado, and many morefrom 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 ofgrowth 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 puttogether a two-fold plan to mitigate the rising air fares they are experiencing due to the loss 

### ofAii"Tran Airways thisVear. Specifically. the plan· focuses first on attracting another low-cost air service providerto serve the Denver market, and pl1tentially additional markets lost when AirTran was acquired by Southwest. Second, the plan ensures that sufficient marketingwill 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 ofthe A.sheville Regional Airport's 5rantrequest,