# Oc;ckt l DGT-OST - 

# guog-li^ s 

# e U S . DcportnMn t o f 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Transportatio n Marc h 29 , 201 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f tf) e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Th e Honorabl e Thoma s Trigon a Mayo r o f th e Cit y o f Johnstow n 40 1 Mai n Stree t Johnstown , P

A 1590 1 . Dea r Mayo r Trigona , I woul d lik

e t o update yo

u o n th e essentia l ai

r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Altoona/Blai r

Count y Airpor t and - - Joh n Murth aJohnstown-Cambri aAirpor t an d giv e you a

n opportunity to offe

r an y comment s o n th e record befor e w e submit

arecommendatio n to th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n and International Affairs . A s yo u know , Colgan Ai

r Inc. , operatin g a s Unite d Expres s (Colgan) , i s th e curren t EA S provide r

a t you r community , an d their

contrac t expire s Jun e 30 , 2010 . I

n anticipatio n o f

that , we issue d Orde r

2010-2-28 , Februar y 26 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fro mcarrier s intereste d i

n providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two-yea r period , beginnin g Jul y 1 , 2010 . I n respons e t

o ou r request , fou

r carrier s responded : Charte r Ai r Transport (Charter) , Colgan , Gulfstrea mInternational Airline s (Gulfstream) , and Sovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . Yo u shoul d hav e receive d acop y o f th e proposal s fro

meac h carrier , and they ca n b e accesse d a

t www.regulations.oo v by enterin g th e number s DOT-OST-2002-1144 6 fo r Altoon aan

d DOT-OST-2002 - 1145 1 fo r Johnstow n i

n th e searc h block . A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e themhere . Charte r ha s propose d on e servic e optio n usin g 30-sea t Embrae r EMB-12 0 aircraf

t operatin g tw o roun d trip s eac h day excep t

Saturda y over a n Altoona-Johnstown-Washingto n Dulle s routing , and on e roun d tri p eac h da y excep t Saturda y ove r a n Altoona-Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g fo r acombine d annua

l subsidy of $2,960,205 . Colgan ha s propose d on e servic e optio n t o provid e bot h communitie s wit

h thre e round trip s eac h weekda y and eac h weeken d (18 aweek) , wit h amix o f nonstop s and on e sto p servic e over a n Altoona-Johnstown Washingto n Dulle s o r

Johnstown-Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g usin g 34-sea t Saa b 34 0 aircraf

t fo r a n annua l subsid y o f $3,348,294 . Gulfstreamha s propose d fou r servic e options , al l of

whic h woul d us e 19-sea

t Beechcraf

t 1900 aircraft . Optio n 1 woul d operat e to Clevelan d a s Continental Express ; Option s 2- 4 woul d operat e t o Pittsburg h and b e unbranded . Optio n 1 woul d offe r fou r weekda y roun d trip s an

d atotal o f

fou r weeken d roun d trip s (2 4 a week) , ove r

aCleveland-Altoona-Johnstown-Clevelan d routin g o r Cleveland-Johnstown-Altoona Clevelan d routing , fo

r a n annual subsidy o f

$3,874,464 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r thre e non.sto

p roun d trip s eac h weekda

y an d weeken d (1 8 aweek

) ove r a n Altoona-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annua l subsidy o f $ 1,983,918 . Optio n 3 woul d offe r thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d weeken d (18 aweek ) ove r a Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annual subsidy o f

$ 1,749,981 . Optio n 4 woul d offe r fou r weekda y roundtrip s and atota

l of fou r weeken d roun d trip s wit

h ami x of nonsto p and one-sto p servic e over a Pittsburgh-Altoona-Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g o r Pittsburgh-Johnstown-Altoona-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annual subsid

y of $3,301,212 . Sovereig n Ai

r ha s propose d thre e servic e options . Whil e all thre e option s woul d us e Kin g Ai r 35 0 aircraft , under Optio n 1 , i

t woul d b e configure d fo

r 1 2 seats , an

d under Option s 2 and 3 , 9 seats . Optio n 1 woul d offe r five dail y roun d trip s (3 5 aweek ) ove r aJohnstown-Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsidy of $1,103,603 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r fou r dail y nonsto p roun d trip s (2 8 aweek ) ove r aJohnstown Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y of $1,117,417 . Optio n 3 woul d offe r fou r dail y nonsto p roundtrip s (2 8 aweek

) ove r a n Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y o f $1,231,939 .Th e schedule s tha t th e carrier s hav e propose d ar e illustrativ e only and they ma y mak e schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , to bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban

k time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t

doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai r

carrie r t o maintai n well-time d an d well-space d flight s i n orde r t o ensur e ful l compensation . W e reques t

tha t yo u revie w th e proposal s an d submi t an y comment s yo u ma

y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t no late r tha n Apri l 23 . W e will carefull y conside r you r comment s befor

e w e submi t

arecommendatio n to th e Assistan t

Secretar y fo r adecision . Pleas e sen d your

comment s vi ae-mai l to EAS@dot.po v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee

l free to contac t

Michae l Marti n o f

m y staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366 - 6494 . Sincerely , Denni s J . DeViqi:Jchie f Essential Ai

r Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s cc : Th e Honorabl e Willia

mSchirf , Mayo r o f th e Cit y o f Altoon a Chuc k Pillar , Altoona/Blai r

County Airport Scot t Voelker , Joh n Murth aJohnstown-Cambri aAirpor t