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U.S . Departmen t o f . , . 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E Transportatio n ' ' : !. i Woshinglon , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secrefar

y o f Transportatio n Apri l 8 , 201 0 VIA FACSIMIL E Th e Honorabl e Mayo r

Melvi n Mack Mayor Cit y of Laurel P.O . Bo x 64 7 Laurel , Mississipp i 3944 1 Dea r Mayo r Mack : I woul d like t o updat e you o n th e essentia l ai r servic e situatio n a

t Laurel/Hattiesbur g an

d giv e you a n opportunit

y t o submi t

comments , i f

yo u wish . A s you know , i n anticipatio n of th e en d of

th e curren t

contrac t o n Jun e 30 , 2010 , b y Orde r 2010-2-29 , issue d Februar y 26,2010 , th e Departmen t solicite d proposal s fromair carrier s intereste d i n providin g essential air servic e a t Laurel/Hattiesburg . In respons e t o tha t order , w e receive d proposal s fro mMesab aAviation , Inc . (th e incumbent) , an d Sovereig n Air , Inc . I n additio n to ou

r brie f descriptio n below , th e proposals , a s wel l a s Orde r 2010-2-29 , ca

n b e viewe d onlin e a

t www.regulations.gov . b y doin g asearc h o n Docke t DOT-OST-2001-10685 . Mesab apropose s to continu e operatin g it s curren t leve l of service , i.e. , 1 4 nonsto p roun d trip s pe r wee k to Memphi s International Airport , operatin g a s Delt aConnection , wit h 34-sea t Saa b 34 0 aircraft , a

t th e annua l subsid y rat e o f $1,398,798 . Sovereig n Air

propose s t o provid e fou

r nonsto p roun d trip s per

da y t o Loui s Armstron g New Orlean s International Airpor t wit h 19-sea t Jetstream3 2 aircraf

t a t th e annua l subsid y rat e of $999,248 . W e not e tha

t Sovereig n doe s no t

currentl y hav e th e requisit e operatin g authorit y fro meither th e Departmen t

or th e Federa

l Aviatio n Administratio n to operate th e sei-vic e i t proposes , althoug h i t

ha s applie d fo

r suc h authority . Pleas e not e tha

t propose d schedule s ar

e illustrativ e an d th e carrier s ma y make schedul e change s t o reflec t

changin g conditions. . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize d ai

r carrier s t o maintai n well-time d an

d well-space d flight s t o ensure ful l compensation .M

y purpos e i

n writin g to yo

u a t thi s time i s t

o giv e yo u a n opportunit

y t o submi t any fina l comment s yo

u migh t hav e o n th e propose d service . W e reques t tha t yo u revie w thi s informatio n a s expeditiousl y a s possibl e an d submi t an y comment s yo

u ma y hav e as soo n as possible , bu t

i n an y cas e n o later

tha n Ma y 7 , 2010 . W e wil l carefull y consider your comment s befor

e w e submi t

arecommendatio n to th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r afina l decision . I f yo u hav e questions , o r

i f you find tha

t yo u nee d additiona

l tim e t o draf

t you r comments , pleas e le t u s know . Pleas e submi t

your comment s to m e at : EAS@dot.go v In addition , w e woul d appreciat e i f you woul d emai l your

comment s t

o bot h dennis.devany@dot.go v an d renee.williams@dot.gov . You shoul d als o sen d acop y o f your comment s t

o bot h applicants . I

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l free to contac t m e o r Rende William s o f

m y staf f a t 202-366-1058 . A n identica

l letter ha s been sen

t t o th e Mayor

of Hattiesburg , MS , a s well as th e Executiv e Directo r o f th e Hattiesburg-Laure l Regional Airpor t Authority . Sincerely ,

Denni s J . DeV&hy , Chie f

^ EA S & Domesti c Analysi s Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s