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### v'EMT 0 \ v^^ORTATIO N US.D«partmenro r.•,:: i UiERAiiON S 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E ThmsportOtio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y - M r p ^- Q n ? " 5 ~ o f Transportatio n • ' • ' " " ' '- ' - ^ ^


### SE P 2 1 201 1 Th e Honorable TedHarha

i Pennsylvani aHous e of

Representative s Harrisburg , P

A 17120-205 8 Dea r Mr

. Harhai : Than k yo u fo r you r letter supporting the proposa

l submittedby th e WestmorelandCount y Airpor t Authorit y fo r agran t unde r the Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Small Communit

y Program)

. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishedto hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dto high airfare s andinsufficien t service

. Unde r the statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e the fimds to mak

e amaximvm

i of 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s i

n the sam e State

. I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitud e i n developing solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility in ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used

. O n Jul y 1 , the Departmen

t issueda n orde r requesting tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2

. A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I cannot commen t on the merit s o f an y particula r proposal

. I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will give ful l consideratio n to all proposal s tha t have bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacing acop

y o f you r lette r andthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e the recor dof thi s matter
. I appreciat

e you r interes t in thi s program . If

I ca n provid e fiirther information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fi^ee t o call me . Sincerel y yours ,

AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra mR.TE D HARHAI , MEMBE R

3 2 EAS T WIN G P O BO X 20205 8 HARRISBUR G PA 17120-205 8 PHONE : (717 ) 772-282 0 FAX ; (717 ) 772-074 5 COMMITTEE S

MONESSE N OFFIC E 1 20 0 MARONO A WA Y SUIT E 40 1 MONESSE N P A 1 506 2 PHONE : (724. ) 684-293 9 FAX : (724 ) 684-661 3 HERMINI E OFFIC E 30 8 SEWICKLE Y AVENU E HERMINI E P A 1536 7 PHONE : (724)446-428 8 FAX : (724 ) 446-428 9 HOUS E O F REPRESENTATIVE S COMMONWEALT H O F PENNSYLVANI A

HARRISBUR G Jul y 19 , 201 1 TRANSPORTATIO N ENVIRONMENTA L RESOURCE S AN D ENERG Y - MAJORIT Y SUBCOMMITTE E CHAI R O N MININ G LIQUO R CONTRO L LOCALGOVERNMEN T - MAJORIT Y SUBCOMMITTE E O N BOROUGH S HOUS E MAJORIT Y POLIC Y COMMITTE E

Aloh a Le y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit y Ai rServic e Developmen t Program , X-5 5 U

. S

. Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D.C

. 2059 0 Dea rMs

. Ley : I a m writin g t o len d m y support t o th e Westmorelan d Count y Airpor t Authority' s reques t fo rfundin g throug h th e U.S

. Departmen t o f Transportation's Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t progra m t o expan d th e schedule d ai rservic e tha t ha s show n phenomena l promis e a t Arnol d Palme rRegiona l Airport

. Th e authorit y ha s see n dramati c succes s wit h th e launc h o f Spiri t Airline s servic e t o Fort Lauderdale , F L an d Myrtl e Beach , SC , movin g mor e tha n 30,00 0 passenger s throug h Arnol d Palme rRegiona l i n les s tha n fiv e months

. Loa d factor s hav e prove n unprecedente d a t th e airport , averagin g i n th e hig h 80 % an d mi d 90 % ranges
. Th e airlin e i s no w considerin g additiona l destination s t o augmen t thi s thrivin g operation , an d ask s onl y fo rassistanc e i n marketin g th e ne w routes

. Thes e effort s ar e heavil y dependen t upo n marketin g effort s tha t th e airlin e ha s prove n successful

. Gran t fundin g throug h th e SCAS D progra m i s critica l t o supportin g thes e effort s t o expan d servic e an d bolsterin g a priceles s economi c asse t t o th e communitie s th e airpor t serves
. You rfavorabl e revie w o f thi s applicatio n woul d b e greatl y appreciated

. Should yo u wis h t o discus s thi s further , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t me
. Sincerely ,
StaJe-RepreseriJ^tiv e Te d Harha i 5S » Legislative/Distric t