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:**~** ,;

... ·' ;.''' ·, <'

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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-ltuw I,**~0** l:.! ''.**~~--** ... l'hu Honur:tblc Hay LaHood.**St!Cl~(!t:ll'Y** ·., ..

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' Intct·national .\irpnrt'.

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

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### Daniel D. 

### McArthur Mayor 

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