## Cit yo f ^ 1 irm n K

CityCounc H Member s IanT . SanfordxULLLIL I l l District 1 , Waylo nHuguley , Jr . Mayo r •MttrltL K District 2 , Gar y Scale s I PtlfP f District 3 , Jane t McLear y vvllly l District 4 , Mar y Steven s n t District 5 , Steve nR. Stanle

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# ithe , Marc h 1,201 2

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# S i C''. ' Ms . Sali yVeit h Director , Governmen t Affair s DELTAAI R LINES , INC . ,121 2 Ne wYor k

Avenue , N.W . Washington , D.C . 2000 5 Dea rMs . Veith : A s th e Mayo ro fth e CityofSheffield , thi s lette ri s bein g sen t t o sho wstron g support fo rth e Northwes t Alabam a Regiona l Airport' s effor t t o retai n schedule d passenge rservic e unde rth e Essentia l Ai rServic e progra m fo rth e Northwes t Alabam a communitie s o fMuscl e Shoals , Florence , Sheffield , an d Tuscumbi a an d th e surroundin g region . Th e Cityo fSheffiel d i s appreciativ e o fDelta' s pas t servic e t o thes e communities . W e urg e yo u t o continu e t o b e a vita l part of , an d subsequentl ybenefi t from , th e economi cgrowt h i n thi s area . Delt a Ai rLine s mad e a decisio n t o withdra wservic e fro m 2 4 U.S . market s i n th e pas t year , includin g Greenville , Hattiesburg , an d Tupelo , Mississippi , an d Muscl e Shoals , Alabama . Alabam a an d it s Northwes t Alabam a communitie s understan d th e busines s decisio n tha t Delt a Ai rLine s made , an d w e woul d lik e t o mov e forwar d wit h othe roptions . W e nee d you rhelp . Th e U.S . Departmen t ofTransportatio n (USDOT ) i s conductin g a n ai rcarrie rselectio n proces s t o determin e whic h airlin e wil l replac e servic e t o th e fou rcitie s i n Mississipp i an d Alabama . Unfortunately , non e o fth e prospectiv e replacemen t carrier s are lik e Delt a wit h it s expansiv e globa l network . Al l ar e smal l airline s tha t d o no t provid e th e sam e leve l o fservic e an d connectivit yt o nationa l an d internationa l markets , a s doe s Delta . Th e ultimat e succes s o fthi s ai rservic e transitio n require s tha t th e airlin e selecte d byUSDO Tt o replac e Delt a mus t hav e th e marketin g an d distributio n tool s neede d t o offe rth e resident s an d businesse s o fthes e communitie s a n effectiv e an d usabl e schedule d ai rcarrie rservice . Fortunately , Silve rAirway s (formerl yGulfstrea m Internationa l Airlines ) ha s agree d i n principa l t o conside rbiddin g o n servic e t o thes e market s i f Delt a Ai rLine s woul d craf t th e sam e agreemen t wit h the m tha t Delt a ha s agree d t o offe rGrea t Lake s Airlines . W e understan d tha t Delt a an d Grea t Lake s Airline s hav e entere d int o a n agreemen t fo rGrea t Lake s t o b e liste d o n th e Delta.co m websit e t o assis t passenger s i n makin g booking s o n th e ne wairlin e connectin g t o Delta . Extendin g thi s agreemen t t o Silve rAirway s i n thes e fou rcitie s wil l b e critica l t o th e abilit y o fSilve rAirway s t o dra wtraffic , provid e a sustainabl e revenu e strea m an d ultimatel ysuccee d i n replacin g Delt a servic e int o th e communitie s o fNorthwes t Alabam a an d Mississippi . Th e Northwes t Alabam a Regiona l Airport Authorit yrespectfull yrequest s tha t Delt a Ai rLine s hel p preserv e a profitabl e an d effectiv e ai rservic e int o thes e liste d communitie s byallowin g Silve rAirway s th e sam e typ e o fagreemen t a s i t ha s entere d int o wit h Grea t Lake s Airlines , Thi s typ e o fpartnershi p wil l hel p ensur e th e succes s o fan yfutur e replacement . 60 0 N . Montgomery Avenu e • Pos t Offic e Bo x 38 0 • Sheffield , Alabam a3566 0 • (256 ) 383-025 0Ms . Sall yVeit h

Marc h 1,201 2 Th e Cityo fSheffiel d i s als o requestin g tha t Delt a conside rth e issu e o ffar e cost . Price s ofte n driv e man ytravelers ' ai rtrave l choices . An yne wcarrie rwil l nee d t o offe rt o th e publi cai rfare s tha t ar e competitiv e wit h othe roptions . I n additio n t o enterin g int o a cooperativ e agreemen t wit h Silve rAirways , w e woul d as k tha t Delt a develo p a ticketin g proces s an d far e structur e tha t i s profitabl e an d competitiv e fo rbot h Delt a an d Silve rAirways . Ou rgoa l i s t o provid e convenien t an d affordabl e trave l option s fo rth e passenger s travelin g int o an d ou t o fth e Northwes t Alabam a Regiona l Airport . W e woul d urg e Delt a t o conside rofferin g othe rincentive s tha t are standar d i n th e airlin e industrysuc h a s Delt a Frequen t Flye rmile s t o passenger s wh o ente rth e Delt a syste m whe n usin g Silve rAirway s vi a th e Northwes t Alabam a Regiona l Airport . Suc h incentive s woul d encourag e passenger s t o fl yth e Silve rAin/vays/Delt a network , an d provid e a powerfu l marketin g too l fo ral l concerned . A s Mayo ro fSheffield , an d o n behal fo fth e Sheffiel d CityCounci l members , I a m respectfull y requestin g tha t Delt a Ai rLine s wor k wit h th e Northwes t Alabam a Regiona l Airpor t an d th e communitie s o fNorthwes t Alabam a t o continu e t o sponso rschedule d passenge rservic e t o thi s area . W e fee l thi s ca n b e accomplishe d i fDelt a woul d exten d th e sam e typ e o fcommercia l agreemen t t o Silve rAirway s tha t i t ha s wit h Grea t Lake s Airtines . W e appreciat e th e opportunit yt o mak e thes e request s o n behal fo fth e Northwes t Alabam a Regiona l Airport . SincgiBS t regard s Ia n T>Sanfor d Mayo r CC : Congressma n Rober t Aderhol t Congressma n M o Brook s Senato rJeffSession s Senato rRichard Shelb y Governo rRober

t Bentle y Mr . Denni s DeVan y Departmen t o fTransportatio n Washington , D.C . 2059 0