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;:;;AHTMENT OF 

January 19_, 2011 ' ''"T (SSR^HC^ 

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The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova, Gustavus. 

Petersburg. Wranaell. and Yakutat. Alaska. Docket OST-1998-4899 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is to express strong support for the selection of Alaska Airlines to continue to 

provide essential air service to our community. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets crucial needs that would 

be difficult, if not impossible, to meet with any other type of service or aircraft type: 

Alaska's service connects Southeast Alaska passengers to one or more major 

communities of interest, with single-plane service to Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or 

Seattle. From these hubs, our community can access the airline's extensive route 

system and benefit from its marketing relationships with other carriers. The 737-400 

combination ("combi") passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to 

continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacity that a non-jet 

carrier simply cannot provide. Further, the 737-400 combi aircraft is equipped with 

Required fvlavigation Performance Technology precision technology, whicfi enables the 

airline to reliably access the airport during inclement weather, thus reducing diversions 

and cancellations and, in turn, enabling people and products to dependably reach the 

community. In sum, Alaska's jet sen/ice is critical to the economic well being of our 

community. 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to 

provide essential air service to Southeast Alaska, as the airline has successfully done for 

more than thirty years. 

Sincerely, 

Olga Norris 

cc: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Dennis DeVany, Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

The Honorable Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska 

Marc A. Luiken, Commissioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and 

Public Facilities 
Adams, Kevin (OST) 

From: 

Sent: 

To: 

Subject: 

Devany, Dennis (OST) 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 3:32 PM 

Adams, Kevin (OST) 

FW: Ak Sourdough lodge, lie Ak EAS letter.doc 

wpf" 

From: Alaskan Sourdough Lodge, LLC. rmailto:info^akgetaway.coml 

Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 3:32 PM 

To: Devany, Dennis (OST) 

Subject: Ak Sourdough lodge, He Ak EAS letter.doc 

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Alaskan Sourdough Lodge, LLC 

P.O. Box 1062 

1104 Peninsula St. 

Wrangell, Alaslca 99929 

800-874-3613 

907-874-3613 

907-874-3455 Fax 

Email: info@akqetawav.com 

Web: www.aicqetawav.com 

Sole l\/lember: Bruce E. Harding 

January 20, 2011 

Dennis DeVany 

Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova, Gustavus. Petersburg. Wranaell. and 

Yakutat, Alaska. Docket OST-1998-4899 

Dear Mr. Dennis DeVany: 
This letter is to express strong support for the selection of Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air 

service to our community. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets crucial needs that would be difficult, if not 

impossible, to meet with any other type of service or aircraft type: 

I am the owner of the Alaskan Sourdough Lodge , LLC, which has been a family business in Wrangell since 

1984. Access creates opportunity and with the daily jet service Alaska Airlines provides gives my business and 

our community the ability to create jobs and maintain a quality of life for young and old alike. A very large 

percentage, 75%, of our guest travel to Wrangell on Alaska Airlines. Without this service, we could not keep 

our doors open. We employed five persons last season, not counting my wife and myself. 

Wrangell has been hit hard by the current economic down turn and in past years, the loss of the timber industry 

in Southeast Alaska. Fishing, marine repair and tourism are the only industries we have to create new jobs and 

or to maintain our current work force. Alaska Airlines service provides us with the ability to help pay our way 

with revenues generated by our current economic stability. 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air 

service to Southeast Alaska, as the airline has successfully done for more than thirty years. 

Sincerely, 

Bruce E. Harding 

Alaskan Sourdough Lodge, LLC 

Sole Member 

cc: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Dennis DeVany, Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

The Honorable Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska 

Marc A. Luiken, Commissioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 
January 19,2011 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova. Gustavus. Petersburg. 

Wrangell. and Yakutat. Alaska. Docket OST-1998-4899 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is to express strong support for the selection of Alaska Airlines to continue to provide 

essential air service to our community. 

In the community of Wrangell, the daily service provided by Alaska Airlines is vital to support the 

economic infrastructure in place after the decline of the logging industry. Daily shipping of seafood to 

markets, transporting clients, staff, and providers for the AlCS Alaska Crossings program (AlCS is the 

largest employer in Wrangell) and bringing visitors and freight to the community is a critical piece of the 

local economy. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets crucial needs that would be difficult, if not 

impossible, to meet with any other type of service or aircraft type: 

The 737-400 combination ("combi") passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to 

continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacity that a non-jet carrier simply 

cannot provide. Further, the 737-400 combi aircraft is equipped with Required Navigation Performance 

Technology precision technology, which enables the airline to reliably access the airport during 

inclement weather, thus reducing diversions and cancellations and, in" turn, enabling people and 

products to dependably reach their destination. 

In sum, Alaska's jet service is critical to the economic well being of our community. 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential 

air service to Southeast Alaska. 

Sincerely, 

Carly Allen 

PO Box 932 

Wrangell, AK 99929 

cc: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Dennis DeVany, Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

The Honorable Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska 

Marc A. Luiken, Commissioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 
January 19,2011 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova, Gustavus. Petersburg. Wranaell. 

and Yakutat. Alaska. Docket OST-1998-4899 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is to express strong support for the selection of Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air 

service to our community. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets crucial needs that would be difficult, if not 

impossible, to meet with any other type of service or aircraft type; 

Alaska's service connects Southeast Alaska passengers to one or more major communities of interest, with 

single-plane service to Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or Seattle. From these hubs, our community can 

access the airline's extensive route system and benefit from its marketing relationships with other carriers. 

The 737-400 combination ("combi") passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to 

continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacity that a non-jet carrier simply cannot 

provide. Further, the 737-400 combi aircraft is equipped with Required Navigation Performance Technology 

precision technology, which enables the airline to reliably access the airport during inclement weather, thus 

reducing diversions and cancellations and, in turn, enabling people and products to dependably reach the 

community. In sum, Alaska's jet service is critical to the economic well being of our community. 

In addition, our Alaska Airlines service provides transportation for people needing to seek medical attention 

elsewhere. In particular, the pregnant women in our community who need to travel to receive obstetrical 

services. We are unable to deliver babies locally and have to travel our patients out to await delivery in 

nearby communities (Ketchikan and Juneau). VVithout this service, a pregnant woman may have to take a 

ferry, which would leave her without medical care for a number of hours, during a crucial time in her 

pregnancy. 

Without this service to our community, I fear we would become so isolated our economy would dissolve 

completely and it saddens me to think that this is a possibility. 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air 

service to Southeast Alaska, as the airline has successfully done for more than thirty years. 

Sincerely, 

Jessica Rooney 

PO Box 307 

Wrangell, AK 99929 

907-874-2307 

iessiaseroo@qmail.com 

ce: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Dennis DeVany, Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

The Honorable Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska 

Mare A. Luiken, Commissioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public 

Facilities 
January 19, 2011 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova. Gustavus. 

Petersburg. Wranaell. and Yakutat. Alaska. Docket OST-1998-4899 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is to express strong support for the selection of Alaska Airlines to continue to 

provide essential air service to our community. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets crucial needs that would 

be difficult, if not impossible, to meet with any other type of service or aircraft type: 

Alaska's service connects Southeast Alaska passengers to one or more major 

communities of interest, with single-plane service to Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or 

Seattle. From these hubs, our community can access the airline's extensive route 

system and benefit from its marketing relationships with other carriers. The 737-400 

combination ("combi") passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to 

continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacity that a non-jet 

carrier simply cannot provide. Further, the 737-400 combi aircraft is equipped with 

Required Navigation Performance Technology precision technology, which enables the 

airline to reliably access the airport during inclement weather, thus reducing diversions 

and cancellations and, in turn, enabling people and products to dependably reach the 

community. In sum, Alaska's jet service is critical to the economic well being of our 

community. 

Because of my position working at Tideline Clinic in Wrangell, I would also like to point 

out that Alaska Airlines services are essential for accessing certain types of medical 

care. Although medical specialists will periodically come to Wrangell to provide care, 

there are many times when it would be detrimental for patients to wait until the 

specialist's next scheduled clinic. Although ferry service is available, the ferry rides are 

lengthy and there are many cases in which reliable air transportation is essential. A 

good example of this would be when Obstetrical (OB) patients are ready to deliver. 

Wrangell does not offer Labor and Delivery services locally, so OB patients must travel 

to larger facilities to deliver. Because of the lengthy ferry rides, the medical providers do 

not recommend that these patients travel by this means. It is felt that the risk of going 

into labor during that long trip is too high. Instead, they recommend that these patients 

travel by commercial air (Alaska Airlines) because of its relative reliability and speed. 

For these reasons, I respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to 

provide essential air service to Southeast Alaska, as the airline has successfully done for 

more than thirty years. 
Sincerely, 

Kara Helgeson 

kara.helgeson@akics.org 

cc: Susan Kurtand, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Dennis DeVany, Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

The Honorable Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska 

Marc A. Luiken, Commissioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and 

Public Facilities