Board of Directors: 

Secretary 

Virginia Moc:ivl)ik 

Treasurer 

ktFormanek 

Cl:trkitwln 

Phil Phillips, Jr. 

Plllltp 'I'aldo 

M. L, Vart Pmt¢ke 

Executive Director/CEO 

Airport Director 

Kelly L.Johnson, A./..E. 

Director ofFinance 

Terry L. Franklin 

L~l Coun.ild 

John a Elro.li 

Au~ust 9, 2013 

M~h :Brooke Cbapmart, Associate Director 

Small Community AirService Development Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

8

111 Floor, Room W86 .. .J07 

United States Department of Transportation 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re: Branson.Regional Airp0tt Trl;l.nsportatiou Deveropment District Application 

DocketiD: DOT-OST-2013-0120 

Small Community Air Service Dt.!Velopment Pmgram 

Dear Ms. ·Chapnum: 

The purpose of this tetter is to bring your attention to au application which has been 

Sttbmitted to the United States Department of Transportation. It is a fede·ral grant funding 

application for air service development for a pr.ivate!y owned and operated aitpo.rt, the 

Branson Airport in· Branson Missouri (BKG) DOT-.OST;.20 13 .. 0 120. 

We underst~nd th~ competitive nature of attracting passengers and attaining a:ir service. 

This is a ehaHenge for any ajtpdrt. We are a small hub airport with several air carriers 

and non-stop destinations. The purpose of this . letter, howevet • .references a. matter .of 

fairness. . 

While I UJ1derst!lnd the grant process is. available to public entities, and BKQ is not 

direc;tly the applicant, the o.utcome is the same • public funds being used to support a 

private enterprise, At the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, we have n~ver t$sed a 

bond payment or failed. any ofthe requitemen~s we are botmd to in accordance with our 

bond indenture; the same does .t\ot hold try at BKG (this is a matter of public record). 

In addition, BKG is seeking to attairt LAX service in their application if it is funded. 

After LAX - XNA service was discontinued severalyears ago, daily service will begin 

again later this month. {t has taken years of effort to regain this market for our 

customers. To subsidize a private airport to attempt. to capture the same ei.IS.tonrets: usiug 

1neans Mt availa.bJe to XNA wotdd be a.n injustice to NW Arkansas. 

BKO .does not tmve to follow the same fecteral· regulations and grant assurances that are 

mandated at public use airports. Private airp<)r~s gr~t. exclusive a~reements that limit 

competition, and they don't have reporting requir:en1ents to the pliblic. Tltey can t~se 

airport funds tor incentive pt(!grams wher~ XNA cannot. In short, they can do many 

things as a private entity that place publicly owned and operated facilities at a 

competitive business disadvantage~ Public use airports·don~t answer to sl1areholders ami 

certainly don •t .share revenues; AU revetnies are used· according to .regulatioL'l attd don't 

pay dividends or airport-gene1·ated. revenue to subsidies air carriers who are also 

operating for the profitofindividual dwners or shareholders. 

Allee L. Walton Terminal BUilding. 

One Airport B.oulevard • Shite 100 • Bentonville, AA 72712 

~hone: 479~205,-1.000 • Fax:479.::205-1001 

flyxna.eom 

Ob 
Ms .. Brooke Chapman 

August 9. 2013 

Page2 

Competition is healthy, and we understand the economic impact of air fares to the public. 

We also understturd the considerabie federal, state and.local investmemt in XNA's.airport. 

With this said, for the se<»nd consecutive year, we respectfully submit th~t a private 

business should not be11efit from a public fundilig program. Orauting of BKG's 

application will further damage our ability to compete on a level playing field.