US.Departmentof Transportation OfficeoftheSecretary · ·· ofTransportation



### Mr. JohnR. Chappie
·· Chairman, Dlstric't 3 · .....:, .



## JUL

Manatee County Board ofCommissioners 1112 Manatee Avenue West Bradenton, FL 34205 DearMr. Chappie: '**·~** '



## 52012 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter supporting the·proposal submitted by the SarasotaBradenton International Airport for a grant underthe U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Small CommunityAir 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 of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4· awardsmay be to communities in the same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the Department issued an orderrequesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications byJune 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. 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 ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthismatter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

# ,L1Q~~**;-\~1** 

# 6 Aloha Ley Associate Director Small Community Program



## .·. ·. ·...

June 21, 2012 Ms. Aloha Ley 

# Manatee County Commissioner John Chappie, District 3

Office ofAviation Analysis 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, W86-310 Washington, DC 20590 Re: Small Community Air Service Development Program Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) Dear Ms. Ley:**~**... · ..

I am writing as Single County Commissioner in support forthe above referenced grant application to the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Sarasota Bradenton lnternationarAirport (SRQ) presentry lacks access to a westbound airline gateway. As a result, consumers must drive to other airports which, in turn, damages our local economy. Compounding matters, Southwest Airlines decided to pull AirTran service from SRQ resulting in a major blow to the air service and economic competiveness for the whole region served by Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Air Tran accounted for more than 360,000 passengers each year, nearly one-third of all passengertraffic at SRQ in 2011. Using the Calendar Year 2011 Air Tran passengertraffic, this equates to 102,600 visitors to the SRQ area. When combined with the 100,000**passeng~rs** lost due to no westbound service, this equates to a loss ofover $105,000,000 of direct visitor expendituresannually: When the multipliereffect is factored in,· it equates to cnoss ofnearly $285,000,000 of economic impact and 2,600jobs to the area. As a single Commissioner, I would like to ask the Department

# to seriously consider the negative effects the recent approval provided to Southwest Airlines to acquire AirTran Airways has had on our community and approve the application for assistance. · Thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely,

# J.~t{·+ JOHN R. CHAPPlE Chairman Cc: The Honorable Ray H. LaHood Secretary of Transportation United States Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590

cc: Manatee-.Board ofCounty Commissions
This correspondence is being sent from Jolm Chappie as an individual County Commissioner. Contact Information:**john.dwppie'o.myman:.~tec.org:** Phone: 941.745.3705 Fax: 941.745.3790 P.O. Box 1000. Bradenton. FL 34206, 1112 :VInnatee Avenue West. Bradenton, FL 34205 :V1anatee County Website: hrm:'-www.mymanaree.org