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\ : ; ^^RTMEN TO F U.S.DepartmeMo f ' ' ' ' '-'^^-""'•"•'i^'i'- O 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y ' '-- ' < " - " ^i - H J o f Transportatio n

Septembe r

15,201 1 Th e Honorabll e Ro n Payn e Mayo r o f th e Cit y o f

Owensbor o Owensbor o CJit

y Hal l 10 1 E 4 * S t Owensboro , JC

Y 4230 3 Dea r Mayo r |»ayne : I woul dlik e t o update yo u o n th e essentia l ai r servic e situatio n at

Owensbor o an dgiv e yo u a n opportunit y t o submi t

any comment s i

f yo u wish . I n respons e t o Pacifi c Wings ' 90-da y notice ! o f

inten t t o terminat e service , th e Departmen t issue dOrde r

2011-8-6 , Augus t 19 , 2011 , t o solici t

proposal s fro mal l intereste dai r carrier s t o provid e EA S a t Owensbor o for

atwo-year

term . I n respons e t o tha t order , w e receive dproposal s fro m Hyanni s Ai r

$ervice . Inc . d/b/ aCap e Ai r (Cap e Air) , Multi-Aero , Inc . d/b/ aAi r Choic e On e (Ai r Chqic e One) , SeaPort

Airlines , Inc . (SeaPort) , an dTransportAzumah . Copie s o f eac h proposa l may b e accesse donlin e at http://www.regulations.go v b y enterin g DO11-OST-2000-785 5 i n th e "Enter Keywor do r

ID " section . Cap e Ai r proposes thre e dail y nonsto p roun dtrip s (2 1 pe r week ) t o Lambert-St . Loui s Internationa l Airpor t

(St . Lx)uis ) usin g 9-passenge r Cessn a40 2 aircraft . Th e carrie r expect s t o off^

r acode-shar e agreemen t

with America n Airlines . Cap e Ai r propose s a

n annua l subsid y o f

$1,829,680 , fo

r atwo-year

term , o r an annua l subsid y o f

$1,784,89 8 for afour-yea

r term . Ai r Choic e On e propose dfour options , eac h operatin g with 9-passenge r Cessn aGran d Carava n aircraft . Optio n 1 i s thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s for

a n annual subsid y o f

$1,504,893 . Optio n 2 i s thre e dail y nonsto p roun dtrip s (2 1 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s for

a n annua l subsid y o f

$1,579,756 . Optio n 3 i s thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) to Nashvill e Internationa l Aiiport (Nashville ) fo

r a n annua l subsid y o f

$1,426,475 .Optio n 4 i s thre e dail y roun dtrip s to Nashvill e (2 1 pe r week ) fo r a n annua l subsid y o f $1,566,823 . I

n addition . Ai r

Choic e On e state s tha t

eac h o f it s fou r option s woul doffe

r 1 0 nonsto p pun dtrip s eac h week o n a n unsubsidize dbasis . Unde r Option s 1 an d2 , i

t proposes fi\l e nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Chicag o O'Har e an dfiv e additiona l nonsto p roun d trip s t o St . Louis . Unde r

Option s 3 an d4 , it

proposes fiv e nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Chicago O'Har e an dfiv e additiona l nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Nashville . However , th e propose d unsubsidize dservic e i s outside th e scop e o f th e EA S program , thus , i f selected , w e coul d no t requir e that

Ai r Choic e On e provid e th e servic e an dw e wil l no t conside r it i n ou r carrier-selectio n decision . SeaPort propose s thre e options , al l usin g 9-passenge r Cessn aCarava n aircraft . Optio n 1 i s thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o Nashvill e for

a n annua l subsid y o f

$1,029,08 0 (firs t

year ) an d$1,024,11 4 (secon dyear) . Optio n 2 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an don e nonsto p roup dtri p eac h weekday an dweeken d( 6 pe r week ) t o Memphi s Internationa l Airport for d n annua l subsid y o f

$1,297,49 2 (firs t

year ) an d$1,353,55 7 (secon dyear) . Optio n 3 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an don e nonsto p roun dtri p eac h weekda y an dweeken d( 6 pe r week ) t o Nashvill e for an annua l subsid y o f

$1,278,92 9 (firs t

year ) an d$1,254,17 1 (secon dyear) . TransportAzuma h propose s tw o groun dtransportatio n options , bot h utilizin g a47

- passenge r bus . Optio n 1 i s four

dail y roun dtrip s t o Nashvill e Internationa l Airport for a n aimual subsid y o f

$377,151 . Optio n 2 i s si x dail y roun dtrip s t o Nashvill e Internationa l Airpor t for a n annua l subsid y of

$545,727 . Pleas e not e t|ha

t th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n i n th e proposa l d o not necessaril y reflec t th e ayerage loca l fare Owensbor o passenger s woul dactuall y pay , but , rather , reflec t aproijate dportio n o f

th e total ticke t

price , e.g. , th e Owensbor o - St . Loui s portio n o f aOwensbor o - St . Loui s - Washington , D.C . ticke t that th e subsidize dcarrie r

woul d realize . Also , th e fare show n i s ne t o f certai n charge s suc h a s Federa l transportatio n security fees ; excis e o r

ticke t taxes , an dPassenge r

Facilit y Charges . O f

course , carrier s hav e th e discjretio n t o charg e fare s the y dee mappropriate , an dth e passenge r fare s presente di n thi s proposa l hav e bee n develope dfor subsid y rat e computatio n purpose s only . Yo u shoul dals o not e that th e schedule s that

th e carrie r

ha s submitte dar e illustrativ e only , an dthat the y may mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban k time s a t th e hub . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r carrier s t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space dflight s i n orde r t o ensur e full compensation . W e as k tha t yo u submi t

an y comment s yo u ma y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t i n an y cas e n o late r tha n Octobe r

5 , 2011 . W e wil l carefull y conside r you r comment s befor e w e submi t arecc|mmendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary for

adecision . Shoul dyo u hav e an y question s o r

^ee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t you r comments , pleas e le t

u s know .3 -

Pleas e sen dyou r

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

f yo u hav e any questions , pleas e feel fre e t o contac t Kevi n Schlemme r

o f m y staf f a t kevin.schlet|nmer@dot.go v o r 202-366-3176 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sen t

t o th e Airport

Directo r a t Owensbor o Davies s County Regiona l Airport . Sincerely , 

# ^.^,/2. ^ Denni s J . DeVan y Chief , Essentia l Ai r

Servic e