# Q

U.S . Departmen t Assistan t secretary120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S E o f Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 

# ol^Zo^aZT^^

MA R 1 6 201 1

Johnn y R . Fernandez , Esq . "( J Executiv e Directo r

_,50^^ ' CODEZOL,C.D . o ^> ^ " " FTZNo . 16 3 r r 354 0 Santiag o d e lo s Caballero s Ave . Ponce , Puert o Ric o 00716-201 1 Dea r Mr . Fernandez : Than k yo u fo r you r Februar y 2 4 lette r

regardin g assistanc e t o th e Mercedit aAirpor t unde r th e Essentia l Ai r

Service (HAS ) program . A s yo u probabl y know . Ponc e ha s formall y appeale dth e U,S . Departmen t

o f Transportation' s decisio n t o rel y o n JetBlue' s subsidy-fre e servic e t o th e mainlan dan dno t

t o rene w Cap e Air' s EA S contract . W e ar e currentl y evaluatin g th e merit s o f th e community' s appeal . A s i s norma l practice , w e ar e placin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n th e Docket , whic hi s availabl e for publi c viewin g a

t www.regulations.go v b y enterin g DGT-OST-1999-659 2 i n th e searc hfield. If Ican provid e furthe r

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sS I 0- 1 l()3()K-()4 7 

# ZON A LIBR E D E L 5U R

Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportado n Unite dState s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Ave . S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Februar y 24,201 1

Re : Terminatio n o f

EA S Ptogta m i n Mercedit aAiipor t

Ponce , Puert o Ric o Dear Mr . LaHood : I woul dlik

e t o le t yo u kno w m

y concer n abou t

th e terminado n o f

th e subsidy give n t o th e Mercedit a Airport i n th e Cit

y o f Ponc e throug hth e Essentia l Ai r Servic e Progra m(EAS) . A s atrade r i n th e southare ao f

th e islan dthi s wil l affec t

directl y t o th e econom y o f th e entir e zone . CODEZOL , CD. , i s an organizatio n tha t gather s ove r

sixt y member s whic hall are businessme n an dwome n tha t

operat e thei r

businesse s i n th e Ponc e area . W e als o serv e twenty client s tha t represen t an ddistribut e variou s merchandise s tn Souther n Puert o Rico . Th e Airport

help s u s a s a

n adho c airport , bu t

als o help s th e touris mi n th e south , cast , an dcentral are ao f th e Island . Mercedit ai s th e fastes t wa y t o connec t

withPuert o Rico' s capital , Sa n Juan . I t i s als o essential tha t

schedul e ai r

service , includin g bot hpassenge r an dcargo , betwee n Ponc e an dSa n Jua n continue . Puert o Ric o ha s auniqu e geographi c characteristic s an dcultura l de s t o th e Caribbean an dLati n America . Th e continuity o f intemadona l air

service s fro mal l th e serviceabl e point s i n th e islan di s essential t o th e cultura l an deconomi c growtho f th e region . Th e terminatio n o f th e subsidy woul d imply th e dismissal o f

th e airpor t

employee s increasin g unemploymen t percentag e i n Puert o Rico . A s a n employer

an dcitize n o f

th e southregio n o f

Puert o Rico , I urg e tha t Mercedit aAirport continu e i n th e EA S platform . Cordially yours , Johnn y lyFemandez , Esq . Executiv e Directo r CODEZOL . CD . FTZNo . 16 3 354 0 Santiag o d e lo s Caballero s Ave . Ponce , Puert o Ric o 00716-201 1

Poroig n Trad e Zon e #1Q 3 • P.O . Bo x333 , Marcedlta , Puert o Ric o 00719-033 3 Tel : (7 8 7 ] 269-4446 / ( 7 87 ] 841-OOB B • Fa x( 7 87 ] 8 41-6 6 8 8 • Web : www.xonalibrada l