^

••^rARTMENTO F • r ^ ^ ^ •.'vSPCRWIO N ' U i Departmen t o f ; : . S T 0^ ^ WiON " Ttansportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y • : : : - ; o o ' ? " 3 ^ ofTransportafio n " ' ' ' -'- ' 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Washington , D C 2059 0

SE P 2 1 201 1 

### Th e Honorable Do

n Whit e Pennsylvani aSenato

r Harrisburg , P

A 17120-304 1 Dea r Mr
. White : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r supporting th e proposa

l submitte dby th e WestmorelandCount y Airpor t Authorit y fo r agrant unde r th e Smal l Conmiunit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Smal l Communit

y Program)

. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dt

o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s air servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dt o high airfare s an

dinsufficien

t service

. Unde r the statute , the Departmen

t ma y us e th e funds to mak

e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although no mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in th e sam e State

. I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

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

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used

. O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue da n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receivin g 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 canno t commen t on the merit s o f an y particula r proposal

. I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t vdl l giv e fiill consideratio n to all proposal s tha t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y of you r lette r andthi s respons e in Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f thi s matter
. I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provid e furthe r information or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fi-ee to call me . Sincerel y yours .

AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra m

### VOL
COMMITTEE S BANKIN G 8 l INSURANCE , CHAIRMA N TRANSPORTATION , VIC E CHAIRMA N COMMUNIT Y a ECONOMI C DEVELOPMEN T ENVIRONMENTA L RESOURCE S S t ENERG Y LABO R a INDUSTR Y VETERANS ' AFFAIR S S t EMERGENC Y PREPAREDNES S State Senato r Do n Whit e 41s t Senatorial Distric t SENAT E BO X 203O4 1 TH E STAT E CAPITO L HARRISBURG , P A 17120-304 I

717-787-872 4 FAX : 7I7-772-1S8 9 

# m 6 1 8 PHILADELPHI A STREE T INDIANA , P A 1570 1 724-3S7-OIS 1 FAX : 724-357-014 S (TOL L FREE ) 866-3S7-015 1 P A INFRASTRUCTUR E INVESTMEN T AUTHORIT Y (PENNVEST ) SOUTHWESTER N P A VETERANS ' CENTE R

ADVISOR Y COUNCI L 10 1 MARKE T STREE T SUIT E IC O KITTANNING , P A 1620 1 724-543-302 6 FAX : 724-548-485 6 395 0 WILLIA M PEN N HIGHWA Y MURRYSVILLE , P A 1566 8 724-327-242 2 FAX : 724-327-243 6 Jul y 21 , 201 1 Aloh aLe y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit y Ai r

Servic 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 RE : Westmorelan dCounty Airport Authority' s Fundin g Reques t
Dea r Ms
. Ley : 1 a mwritin g t o len dmy support t o th e Westmorelan d Count y Airport Authority' s reques t for fundin g throug h th e U.S

. Departmen t o f Transportation' s Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

progra mt o expan dth e schedule d ai r servic e tha t

ha s show n phenomena l promis e at Arnol dPalme r

Regiona l Airport

. Th e Authorit y ha s see n dramati c succes s with th e launc h o f Spiri t Airline s servic e t o Fort Lauderdale , F

L an dMyrtl e Beach , SC , whic h ha s move d mor e tha n 30,00 0 passenger s throug h Arnol d Palme r

Airport i n les s than 5 months

. 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 for assistanc 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 mi s critica l t o supportin g thes e effort s t o expan dservic e an dbolste r apriceles s economi c asse t t o th e communitie s th e airport serves . You r favorabl e revie w o f

thi s applicatio n woul d b e greatl y appreciated

. Shoul d yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t

m e o r my Westmorelan d Count y offic e at you r convenience

. Sincerely , 

### iA/ V 

# {AJJ ^ Do n Whit e Senator , 41 " Distric t