THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON DC 20590 

The Honorable Roger F. Wicker 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Wicker~ 

July 17, 2012 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Tupelo Airport Authority for 

a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service 

Development Program. 

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

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insufficient 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 s~me State.-

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

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that comrnunities Interested in receiving a 

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

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our nom1al practice, I am plac· 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a conta o 

this program. 

of your letter and this respon. 

e record ofthis matter. 1 app · 

----
flOGEfl F. WICKER 

t-.~ISSI:=,StPPI 

/;i1MED SERVICES 

GM!KING. HOUSING. AND URBAN AFF,~IRS 

t:0MMEf1CE. SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION 

\'ETER.llr·JS' ,1.r-Ft'.IRS 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

'2llnircd ~tatcs ~cnate WASHINGTON. DC 20510 

June 5, 2012 

Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation 

400 Seventh Street, SW 

Washington, D.C. 20590-0001 

Dear Ray, 

OinK SEN SENAif (iffl~~ BUILOING 

\"VA~I1lNGTUN. OC ~'.1'510: 

I would like to express my support for the Tupelo Airport Authority's application for a 

Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant. 

Ftmding from the U.S. Department ofT:ransportation in the amount of$75,000 will allow 

the Authority to develop a new marketing campaign which will promote Silver Airways for 

Tupelo Regional Airport and emphasis upcoming changes to air service and customer. 

convenience. In. addition, the Authoi"ity will reach out to the community through an aggressive 

campaign to publicize the value of flying locally from Tupelo: It is projected that the proposed 

efforts will allow the Tupelo Airport Authority to boost airport performance to the level that they 

will no longer require an Essential Air Service subsidy. 

I hope that you will give the Tupelo Airport Authority's application every consideration. 

Should additional infonnation be required from my offi<;e, please contact Bevin Wilkinson of my 

stan· at (228) 604-2383. 

With best wishes, I am 

RFW/BW 

. ' . ~ . 

ger F. .~ Wicker 

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