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Count y o f

Jefferso n Offic e o f

th e Count y Administrato r Histori c Courtlious e 19 3 Arsena l Street , 2" * Floo r Watertown , N

Y 13601-256 7 Phone : (313 ) 783-307 5 Fax : (315 ) 785-507 0
Augus t 20 , 201 0

Denni s J
. DeVany , Chie f Essentia l Ai r

Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio nAnalysi s U
. S
. Dep t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S
. E
. Washington , D
. C
. 2059 0 RE : EA S Communit y Respons e Docke t DOT-OST-1997-284 2 Dea r Mr
. DeVany : O nbehal f

o f th e Count y Boar do f

Legislator s fo r

Jefferso nCounty , I wan t t o thaii k yo u for offerin g u s th e opportunit y t o weig hi no nth e importan t deliberation s regardin g futur e commercia l ai r servic e at th e Watertow nInternationa l Airpor t which , o f

course , i s mad e availabl e throug hth e U
. S
. DOT' s essentia l ai r

servic e (EAS ) program . A s yo u know , thre e proposal s wer e filedunde r th e docke t reference dabov e an dcount y official s responsibl e fo r th e ownership , operation s an doversigh t o f thi s importan t ai r transportatio nfacilit y hav e bee nengage di nacarefu l revie w o f eac ho f th e submittal s sinc e tha t time
. Whil e eac ho f

th e thre e airline s present s auniqu e opportunit y worth y o f consideratio nfor

th e part o f norther nNe w Yor k

serve ddirectl y b y ou r

commercia l airpor t

an dtw o o f

th e thre e ar e als o prepare dt o provid e qualit y dail y servic e t o ou r resident s immediately , i t i s abundantl y clear

tha t onl y on e ai r carrie r i s closel y linlce dt o th e County' s aggressiv e busines s pla nfo r increasin g conunercia l passenge r

load s t o servic e agrowin g loca l custome r bas e i nth e no t

to o distan t

future
. 1 am , therefore , ver y please dt o advis e yo u tha t ou r organizatio nha s universall y endorse dth e commercia l ai r servic e proposa l submitte dt o you r offic e b y Gulfstrea mInternationa l Airline s a s th e carrie r o f choic e for

th e Watertow nInternationa l Airport
. I a msur e tha t

yo u wil l recal l tha t

asimila r recommendatio nwa s mad e b y Jefferso nCount y durin g th e RF Pproces s tw o year s ag o becaus e o f th e clos e linkag e betwee nou r respectiv e busines s plan s fo r futur e growt ho f

bot hth e County' s airpor t an dcommercia l passenge r traffi c tha t

onl y Gulfstrea m coul dsupply
. However , durin g thi s interi mtim e perio danothe r airlin e wa s awarde dth e EA Scontract . Whil e tha t ai r servic e ha s bee ndependable , th e organizatio nreliable , pleasan t t o wor k wit h an dusuall y quit e responsiv e t o an y operationa l request s tha t w e migh t

hav e made , i npoin t

o f fact , th e enplanemen t

nimiber s hav e falle ndramaticall y compare dt o th e shor t ter msta y o f

th e prio r commercia l ai r

carrier
. I t

i s als o ver y apparen t

tha t servic e to/fro masub-hu b i nAlbany , N Y i s simpl y no t

th e airpor t

o f choic e for

loca l resident s wishin g t o fly ou t o f ou r airport , especiall y i f

the y ar e lookin g t o continu e o nt o othe r destinatio npoints
. Further , i nou r mos t recen t discussion s wit h tha t airline' s representatives , i t wa s als o mad e quit e clea r tha t "th e math " simpl y doesn' t work i n term s o f gettin g t o ou r

desire d10,00 0 enplanemen t leve l wit hth e typ e o f

plan e an dsuggeste dflight plan s bein g offere dunde r thei r EA S proposa l for

th e nex t tw o years . Whil e addin g ane w linkag e fro mAlban y t o Bosto ni s ane w initiativ e ver y muc happreciated , acompetin g airlin e i s alread y offerin g asimila r

rout e plan , flyin g direc t an di nles s tim e wit habigge r plane
. O nth e othe r

hand , tha t

airline , Gulfstrea mLitemational , ha s gaine dvaluabl e operationa l experienc e i nth e intervenin g tw o year s successfull y sei-vin g severa l norther nU
. S
. communitie s durin g th e winte r seasons . Tha t

aspec t o f th e company' s proposa l tw o year s ag o was , admittedly , avali dpoin t o f potentia l concern . Also , tw o year s ago , th e recommende dhu b wa s Clevelan dwhic hha s subsequentl y somewha t

downsize doveral l commercia l fliglit s fromtha t airport ; now , th e destinatio n poin t i s Boston' s Loga nInternationa l Airport , whic hi s exactl y wher e ou r loca l traveler s wer e previousl y demonstratin g adesir e t o g o a s witnesse db y th e increase denplanemen t number s wit h Bi g Sk y Airline
. Durin g ou r meeting s wit hGulfstream , w e wer e mos t impresse dwit hth e marketin g pla ntha t wa s bein g developed , th e fac t tha t tota l interlinin g agreement s wer e i nplace , aspecifi c gat e & linkag e wit hairline s i nBosto nha dbee nestabhshed
. Departmen t o f Defens e certificatio nfor militar y trave l wa s alread y i nplace , th e convenienc e o f custome r

we b sit e acces s t o secur e ticket s wa s available , th e shor t

ter mfinancia l & regulator y issue s wer e disclose du p front , apla nha s bee n develope dt o addres s additiona l demand s for ai r servic e i f

suc harise s and , mos t

importantly , aver y attractiv e ticke t

pricin g progra mwa s identifie dtha t woul dclearl y benefi t

ou r are atravelers
. I t i s Jefferso nCounty' s state dgoa l t o provid e qualit y commercia l ai r servic e t o it s loca l custome r bas e i nnorther nNY
. Wit hGulfstrea mInternationa l Airlines , w e fee l w e hav e th e bes t opportunit y t o expan dai r

transportatio nservic e t o th e regio nand , i ns o doing , flirthe r enhanc e potentia l economi c developmen t

opportunitie s a s well , thu s movin g forwar di navei y positiv e wa y toward s achievin g ou r

state dgoal
. You r

endorsemen t

o f thi s particula r

commercia l ai r

carrier , tliroug hth e awardin g o f

atw o yea r

EA S contrac t

t o Gulfstrea mInternationa l Airline , i s hereb y requested
. I woul db e happ y t o respon dt o an y question s and/o r comment s tha t

yo u migh t

hav e regardin g ou r recommendation
. Than k yo u fo r you r continuin g suppor t

o f th e County' s Watertow nInternationa l Airpor t growt h& development
. I loo k forwar dt o continuin g t o wor k closel y wit hyo u an dyou r staf f o nimportan t

initiative s simila r

t o th e on e tha t

w e ar e currentl y addressing
.

Rober t F
. Hagemann , U

I Count y Administrato r

### G
. Rene e Williams , Transportatio nAnalys t

Count y Legislator s Airpor t Manager