U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

Of Transportation 

. The"Honot:ablePaula BO"Gke.ry'· • -- -< · · 

· Florida Senator 

Lakeland, FL 33806 

Dear Ms. Dockery: 

JUL 6 2012 

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Lakeland Linder Regional 

Airport 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 9f 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

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

deficiencies, tb,_e statute pcgvides~flexib_ility ir1 tl}e txpes of projects that can bt:__(und~d. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities 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 normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

i~QyW\26 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 
·, 

THE FLORIDA SENATE 

, . ..,_~« · ·: ·· __ Taliaha:ssee, Florida 32399-1100 COMMITTEES: 

Commerce and Tourism, Vice Chair 

Agriculture 

Budget· Subcommittee on Education Pre·K • 12 

Appropriations 

Children, Families, and Elder Affairs 

Rules • Subcommittee on Ethics and ElecUons 

SENATOR PAULA DOCKERY 

15th District 

Jun~d, ~012 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

JOINT COMMITTEE: 

Public Counsel Oversight 

"' JO .... 

RE: Suppoa·t of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport Applicntlon for Funding Under the Depnrtrnent of 

Tmnsportntion Snu11I Community Air Service Development Proga·nm 

Docket: DOT-OST-2012-0069 

Dear Ms. Ley: 

. - . 

... 

. Please accept this letter· as affirmation of my official support of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport's FY 20 12 Small 

Community Air Service Development grant submission requesting federal funding to support marketing efforts at 

the airport. · · , · · "'· ·· · · · · · • . ~- ,. 

' < 

Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, located in the I-4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa recently lost its air 

service operated by Direct Air of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. While that company had structural financial 

problems, the air service provided was unique to our region and competitive with connecting services offered at 

nearby airports. I believe that with the right airline partners, the airport can reinvigorate air service in our region 

once again. " . 

Our region has a large pop!llation and unique mix of bti.sinesses. Polk County, in which the airport is located, has a 

population. ,\·ell over 500,000, n;atdng it. die· ·largest population in Florida without air service, Our business 

community includes the headquarters for Publix Supermarkets, one of the largest privately operated grocery store 

chains in the country, and the brand-new LEGOLAND Florida operated by Merlii1 Entertainment, Inc. 

The Small Community Air Service Devel~pment, Program offers an opportunity for the airport, community, and 

federal government to work together to restore aiF:service to Lakeland and Polk County. This Grant is essential in 

bringing new service to our local airport. .. Warm Regards, 

~~· .. 

Paula Dockery 

Florida State Senator, District 15 

REPLYTO: . 

a Posl Office Box 2395, Lakeland, Florida 33806·2395 (863) 413-2900 Toll Free: 1-866·248·6467 

a 224 Senate Office Building, 4C4 South Monroe Street, T~llahassee, Florida 32399-1100 (850) 487-5040 

MIKE HARIDOPOLOS 

President of the Senate 

Senate's Website: www.flsenate.gov 

MICHAEL S. "MIKE" BENNEIT 

President Pro Tempore 

..