U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Tht! Honorable-Daniel .1), McArthur: 

~vlayor of St. George 

St. George, UT 84770 

Dear Mayor McArthur: 

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Assistant Socrotary 

July 3, 2012 

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~ 200 Nr:w Jorsey·A-..etH.;e, SE 

'.Vash,r,gton. DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary Lallood supporting the proposal submitted by 

the St. George Municipal Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's 

Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I 

respond on his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service dcliciencies, particularly issues related to high airl~1rcs or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

mvards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

dcticicncies, the statute provides 11exibili.ty in the type.s of projects that c~n be llmdcd. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requestit1g that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department. I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and lair consideration to all proposals that have been properly tiled. 

As is our nom1al practice. I am placing a copy of your ldter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sinccrdy yours. 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
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l'hu Honur:tblc Hay LaHood. 

St!Cl~(!t:ll'Y 

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Unit1!d Stutes Department of Transpot·t:at ion 

I :!00 New .Jel'~ey Ave. SE 

\\'ashingr.on D.C. 

[ am wrili11g you on behalf of tlw Cit.y of St. Or.nrge to t!Xpress appt·eeiat ion for yom~ d'forts 

to mnlw t.ho St .. ncorgc Municipal Airport a walit,y and to indicnl"e my !ittpporl. fm· the 

:tpplication fr>r a gt~t, rhe :JO I :3 8nu~U-Comllll1Jlil~· .-\it· Sel'Vico Deveiopmont: Program. 

Sinee jt's opening in ,January ~011 l"!w airpm•t ha:-; st:en inen!tu5ed u~o of nearly ~0 pc~rccnt 

when t:omJmrf-!d to the fot·mer ait·porl. Thw·w who u~c the airport have mdicated a ne(•d lor 

(i\hcr dc.'l.tination~:-~ a:;ide fi'Ol11 I hose we eurrently sel'vicc. To allow St. < h~m·gc trnvoiPt'H 

h••t tet· n•:ct•ss to the national Ll'<lllt·I!JOrtation s~·~wm. [ dill :Htppol'tiug t.lte applical ion of Sl. 

( ;eor~e ,\irpo:·l- in t.he SmaH Cotlllllltllity :\ir St!n·icl: I }vvdopulettl Progt·am fur a gr:mt lo 

sltppm't m~w non~top jet St'l'Vict• bC'tWl'l~n St. (;porge and Dl'llV(H' I ntct·national .\irpnrt'. 

On:t· the cout"i·W t>f ouL' negations with a numbt•r of regional ilil'line earrit~rs, 1 hey havo told 

the eommmlit~· that they need :ttl inct•ntivc~ pmgmm rhat will indude a rcvC!ntte g-u:u·ant(!U. 

:tn~J fund~·tin· m:n·kNin!:.~ To.niL'L·t: thiK l'l)que;-;t:-llw (:ity <1f St. Geor~t~ is n~qLw:<ting a '!l'Jtnt 

, ,r ~::)t>O.OOO with a lot:al <:ontrihut ion <111d t iclwt: run:hasC:' program of S:HHI,IJOO as ;111 

inct:nf ivc li'n: IW\\' :lit· ;.:vrvicc :tt I !III' nr'w oirp<n·i. 

l{ceont a it• service market. studies :-;how that <)\'er:tll pa~::H.:ngl!L' demand for St. ( :t~orge 1::> 

quite large but more than HO% of the pa.-;s<~ngers in the St. < h~orge mat·lwt. area are u;-;tn~ 

nther airports, some as many as :)()0 miles away. !n Sout.h\\'cslcrn Ut.ah and sutToundin~ 

t\•gwn there is a stt·ong demand fot' nit' s<:rvicc to thl! i'vl id west. the E:u;r. rho Southwest:. and 

rhe Sou! hcast as well a:-: lli~hts to L•;uropt:. New nonstop llif~hts to Dcnvor can meet this· 

demand. 

Sky We~t ~\il'linl!~. lwad-qnnrtm·t•d in SL < :l!ot·~c haA ··xpt'l'S:-;f:'d i he mo~t. int,!n~st a!' I hi~ 

ttmc and coulrt pl'ovi.de nonstop "er\'ic.e with n'g1onaljet ain:rafr tn lknn~r. ~k~·\Vest. bt,; 

rc•quo'"'tcd ;l!l inecntiYe package th:tt indudt•s :1 ruvenuo gu:trant<?u. local ::tdvc:t·rL,in({ nnd 

t:wriwring. n pre·purcha~<! ricket pt'Clf.!l':llll h.v I•J,~al lnt~ilw~sc:.;, :1nd an illhllund l· d.u· 

,,nn~r:tm. l'lle initial ,.;erviee would indudt• mw dail~· round trip 11ii.!ht hl~tWl'Pn St.. < :c)cH".:e 

:111d l.h:llVl't' with :1 .)(l :·eat (:fl,j-~.!l)f) ;tireral'f. 

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The new nonstop service to Denver would assist in the continued effort to attract more 

business to the St. George area. It will-also make St. George accessible to the international 

market.. The four US National Parks near St. George are major attractions for the 

inter~ational touri~t market and this new nonstop .flight will likely be very popular. 

I ·wo~dJike to express my grat;itu<ie for.your careful consideration in this ~atter. I whoJe 

heartedly ·support this ~f,(qrt to obtain a Small Colllmunity Air Service· development Grant 

and am available shoUld you h~ve any questions regarding this letter or our effor~s to 

improve transportation options to our beautiful commul}ity. 

Sincerely. 

'IJ"·~····· . ~ . "·. • ·WJ.·'; ,: lilA' ·~·· . .!> . •. . · : .· .. : . . . .. . . : ... ~ ' ' ' ... :· .. ·: . . 

Daniel D. McArthur 

Mayor 

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