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### OrpARTWENTO F M-^N3P0RTATI0 N 

### Jun e 15,201 1 •••:-;KrTOPERATION S Denni s DeVan y ?']) } M ! b A iQ : 0 1 Essential Ai r

Servic e Chie f

U S DO T EA S an dDomesti c Analysi s Div
. 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Av e S E W86-47 1 Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Docke t

DOT-OST-2011-4-7

- Essentia l Ai r ScA'ic e Openin g Fo r

Kalaupapa , Islan do f Molokai , Hawai i Dea r Mr
. DeVany : Than k yo u for th e opportunit y t o commen t o n th e Essentia l Ai r

Service (EAS ) Reques t

fo r Proposa l (RFP ) openin g for Kalaup^a , Moloka i Island , Hawaii , Docke t DOT-OST-2011-4-7
. Kalaupap ai s aremote , rura l locatio n tha t ca n onl y b e accesse db y airplan e o r a200 0 foo t

high , 2 6 3v»itch-bac

k foo t trail
. Th e Kalaupap apatien t populatio n range s i

n ag e from6 9 t o 8 7 an d man y resident s ar c unabl e t o easil y us e th e trail
. Therefore , air servic e i s critica l t o th e movemen t

o f peopl e t o an dfro mth e Settlement
. Al l Kalaupap aresident s an dvisitors t o her e wan t lowe r ai r fare s similar

to th e averag e for

othe r airfare s t o an dfiomth e res t o f Molokai " Island
. Kalaupap aresident s wan t an dnee d7 day awee k service , especiall y t o topsid e Moloka i o n Friday afternoo n an dbac k t o Kalaupap aSunday afternoo n t o accommodat e worker s an dweeken dtourists
. Th e selecte dprovide r

shoul dhav e aschedul e tha t permit s resident s t o g o ou t i n th e mornin g an d return i n th e lat e afternoo n for

medica l appointment s an dshopping , plu s amid-day flight t o Honolul u t o accommodat e th e visito r an dbusines s traffic
. Se^^^ce fromaprovide r

tha t ha s apositiv e safety recor di n Hawaii , i s financially stable , abl e to provid e EA S servic e fo

r th e 2-year

contrac t period , an datrac k

recordoperatin g schedule d commercia l service s wit h positiv e on-tinae servic e record s i n Hawai i i s als o desirable
. Th e chose n provide r

shouldals o provid e othe r necessities , lik e whee l chai r accessibl e equipmen t an daircraf

t that ca n easil y accommodat e wheelchai r restricte dpassengers . Finally , th e provide r

shoul dhav e aircraf

t capabl e o f

operatin g withi n th e airport restriction s ( 9 passenge r maximum ) wit h enoug h equipmen t t o kee p reliabl e an don-tim e servic e operatin g durin g al l season s o f

th e year . Th e curren t

provider , Pacifi c Wings , doe s provid e consistent , o n tim e servic e t o schedule , bu t thei r fare s hav e worke dcontrar y t o th e reason s for EAS
. I n th e pas t

thre e year s sinc e the y raise d rate s ove r 250% , th e tota l loa dcarrie dha s dwindle dfiromove r 3,00 0 annuall y t o a s lo w a s aroxm d90 0 thi s pas t

year .

e*c l xd j iaraasd i d H wdio^o i iio s s i un pI n addition , assertion s hav e bee n mad e tha t fare s ar e unimportan t

t o patient s sinc e th e Departmen t

o f Health pay s for

thei r ai r travel
. Patient s ar e give n medica l cost s for travel , bu t

al l trave l don e o n persona l business , al l thei r famil y an dfriends trave l an dal l th e tourist s that com e int o th e settlemen t

b y commercia l carrie r

t o interac t

with th e communit y al l pa y th e hig h far

e no w charged
. Thank yo u for thi s opportunit y t o commen t o n th e EA S RF P fo

r Kalaupapa
. Sincerely, ^
Mar k Mille r A s Privat e Citize n o f

Kalaupap a

ir- d x d j j.3ra3Sd" i d H Wdio:o i iio a s i un r