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U.S . Departmen t Assistan t SBCretar y 

### • PARTMEN T O F '^WSPORWIO N <r T OPERATION S '20 ' 'ii;, ; J:'I-:,

- o f TranSpOrtafJO n i-i n • .- n ii , « n . o i VV,-)r,Hinglon , D C JOSS O Offic e o f th e Secretar y Augus t 23 , 201 0 o f Tronsportolio n 'I.. 1 L P

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Th e Honorabl e Madelein e Z . Bordail o U . S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congresswoman Bordailo : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r addresse dto Secretar

y LaHoo dsupportin g th e applicatio n o f Aviatio n Services , Ltd . d/b/ aFreedo mAi r (Freedo mAir) , fo

r authorit y t o engag e i

n foreign charte r

ai r transportation . A s you ar e aware . Freedo mAi r ha s applie dt o th e U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n fo

r acertificate t o provid e foreig n charte r ai r service . Several pleading s fro mintereste d partie s hav e bee n filedi

n respons e t o Freedo mAir' s application . Presently , th e Department

i s reviewin g th e informatio n submitte db y Freedo mAi r i n support o f it s fitness an dal l comment s o n th e record . Sinc e thi s matte r

i s contested , I a

munabl e t

o commen t

o n th e merit s o f

th e case . I assure you , however , tha t

th e Departmen t

i s workin g a s expeditiousl y a s possibl e an dgivin g ful l consideratio n t o Freedo mAir' s applicatio n andal l comment s o n record . A s i s our normal practice , 1 a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docket DOT-OST-2010-015 3 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s matter . 1 appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s proceeding . Sincerel y yours .

>usa n L . Kurlan

i 'Assistan t Secretary fo

r Aviatio n andInternationa l Affair sMADELEIN E Z . BORDALL O /-"~ \ NATURA L RESOURCE S COMMITTE E GUA M ^^t A L^ " CHAIRWOMAN , Suecor/MirrE E O N KSULA H AfFAms , 1^^**^*^^ ^

OCEAN S AN D WILDLIT C 42 7 CANNO N HOUS E OFFIC E BUILDIN G ^r*£PS ^ ^ . , „ i« / ^-r«. , nn^nci c con , , . ^L^L-^ S Sus-owMiTTE E O N NATIONA L PARKS , WASHINGTON , D C 20515-530 1 -^^^^j A FORESTS AN D PUBLI C LAND S (202)225-118 8 Ife^iallllliarj?' ^ FAX : (202 ) 226-034 1 ^\4iT^W ^ DISTRIC T OFFICE : ARME D SERVICE S COMMITTE E 12 0 FATHE R DUENA S AVENU E „ _^ ^ ^,^ . ^ ,^ ^

SUBCOMMITTE E O N REAONES S SUIT E 10 7 HAGATNA , GUA M 9691 0 (671)477-427 2 FAX : (671)477-258 7 hnp://www.house.gov/borclall o 

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f th e lanlte dState s tousEofHepresEntatinEs SUBCOMMITTE E O N MILITAR Y PERSONNE L Jun e 17,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

of Transportatio n 40 0 Sevent

h Street , S W Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood , I writ e i n suppor

t o f th e pendin g applicatio n (DOT-OST-2010-0153 ) of Aviatio n Services , Ltd . (Freedo mAir ) whic h seek s authorit y fro mth e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n t o expan dit s charte r ai r transportatio n service s t o an dfromGuam . Freedo mAi r

i s aU S citize n owne dai r carrie r base do n Guaman di t

currentl y serve s th e island s o f Guam , Rota , Tinia n an dSaipan . I t enjoy s astron g reputatio n o n Gua man di s seekin g t o expan dit s passenge r service s t o includ e flight s fro mGuamt o Hon g Kong , Manila , Shanghai , Taipe i an dPalau . Thes e propose droute s woul dprovid e asubstantial boos t to Guam' s local touris meconomy an dI ^ll y suppor t it s approval . Freedo mAi r

ha s bee n i n operatio n fo

r mor e than thirt y years , durin g whic h tim e i t ha s grow n an dsteadil y expande dit s charte r services . Th e pendin g expansio n of Freedo mAir' s passenge r

service s woul dprovid e asignificant economi c benefi t

t o th e island s of Guam , Rota , Tinia n an dSaipan . Fo r thes e islan deconomies , touris mi s a primar y sourc e of

economi c growth , governmen t revenue , an demployment . O n Guamalone , touris maccount s for athir dof th e Island' s GD P an d approximatel y on e quarte r o f al l jobs . Freedo mAir' s pendin g expansio n woul dincreas e Guam' s acces s t o growin g Asian economie s an dha s th e potentia l t o expan dconsume r choices , stimulat e pric e competitio n an dreduc e trave l cost s fo r consumers . Thes e ne w choice s an dlowe r

cost s woul dmak e Guaman dit s neighborin g island s amor e attractiv e touris t destination , an di n doin g s o wil l gro w ou r respectiv e touris mindustries . Further , th e support

service s necessary fo

r Freedo mAi r

t o provid e longer-rang e ai r charte r servic e wil l directl y creat e man y well-payin g local jobs . Thes e ne w high

skille djob s wil l serv e t o diversif y Guam' s economy andpromot e it s continue dgrowt h i n th e future .Th e Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n Jun e 17 , 201 0 Pag e Tw o of

Tw o Again , give n th e man y direc t an dindirec t

benefit s fromth e pendin g expansio n o f Freedo mAir' s passenge r

routes , I suppor

t th e approval of

it s application . I appreciat e your attentio n andconsideratio n o f thi s matte r

an dhop e that

i t wil l b e favorabl y considere db y your

Department . Sincerely ,

lADELEIN E Z^ORDALL O Membe r o f Congres s