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# HI€ F RIV€ R m ft€G10MflL fllflPOR T

• i^ .

'f'^.^WS^T*i\ ^ Novembe r 18 , 201 1

Detini s J . DeVany , Chie f • • - ' iisseutia l Ai r

Servic e Divisio n ' < )£fiee

- c f

Aviatio n Analysi s TM 'Jea r Mr . DeVany , O n Jul y 15 . 201 1 Mesabii/Pimiacl e d/b/ aDelt aConnectio n file dnotic e t o terminat e servic e i n Thie f

Rive r Falls , MN . Subsequentl y o n Septembe r 13 , 201 1 th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n issue da''hold-in " orde r seqwirin g Mesaba/Pinnacl e L o continu e servic e an drequeste dproposal s fo r replacemen t

servic e b y Octobe r

12 , 201 1 (late r

extende dt o Octobe r

14''') . Potentia l carrier s tha t me t th e Octobe r

14" ' deadlin e ar c a s follows : Ai r Choic e One , Bemidj i Airlines , Grea t Lake s Aviation , an dSovereig n Air . O f th e aforementione dairlines . Ai r Choic e On e an dSovereig n Ai r ar e proposin g a one-sto p rout e structure , taggin g Thie f Rive r Fall s with eithe r

Internationa l Fall s o r Chisholm/Hibbing . Whil e th e Thie f Rive r Fall s Regiona l Airport*Authorit y appreciate s th e interes t

expresse db y thes e tw o airlines . coTirimunit y comment s regardin g ai r

servic e hav e overwhelmingl y identifie dth e curren t one-sto p structur e a s amajo r

lecto r fo r no t utilizin g th e service . I n atiditioht o ah inadequat e servic e route , it i s ou r understandin g tluv

t Sovereig n Ai r

i s no t currentl y i n operation . Fo r thes e reason s th e Airpor t Authorit y feel s tJia

t Ai r Choic e On e an dSovereig n Ai r ar e no t adequat e replacement s for ai r service . Whil e Bemidj i Airlines ' proposa l o f thre e (3 ) non-sto p flight s per.da y t o MS P i s appealing , th e limite dabilit y fo r passenger s t o connec t

t o othcj^destination s is^o f , grea t concern . Th e proposa l submitte db y Bemidj i Airline s doe s no t mentio n any * for mo f interlin e o r

codeshar e agreement , afacto r ou r communit y feel s i s necessar y t o .sustai n (an dgrow ) enplanements . Ajiothe r concer n regardin g servic e b y Bemidj i Airline s i s th e typ e o f

aircraf t proposin g t o b e use dan dit s limite dnumbe r o f seats . Finally , Grea t

Take s Aviatio n propose s t o provid e non-slo p .servic e t o MS P at a frequenc y o f

1 2 time s pe r

wee k usin g aBeec h I900 D (I' > passenger ) aircraft . O f th e carrier s tha t

bi dan dar e currentl y i n operation , Grea t Lake s Aviatio n propose s 1372 2 Airpor t Driv ® (218 ) «^1-768 0 P O Bo x67 2 Thie f Rave rFail s ©moii : 8:rfcirpori@mn<ccble.ne t

### Pag e 2 o f 3 th e lowes t subsidy requirement

of $ 1,881,815 . In additio n t o arelativel y low subsidy requirement . Grea t Lake s Aviatio n currentl y ha s i n plac e many interlin e agreement s wit

h caiTJer s at MS P allowin g traveler s t o easil y connec t t o other destinations . Furthermore , Grea t Lake s Aviatio n ha s th e futur e abilit y t o issu e "frequent flye r miles " on Deltaa s well a s e-ticketin g throug h Delta.co mein d seamles s baggag e handlin g wit h all interlinin g carriers . Fo r thes e reasons , th e Thie f River Fall s Regional Airpor

t Authorit y woul dlike to expres s it s desire t o se e Grea

t Lake s Aviatio n replac e Mesaba/Pinnacl c fo r air servic e i n Thie f

River Falls , MN . I

t i s als o th e Airport

Authority' s recommendatio n tha t - shoul dGrea

t Lake s Aviatio n b e awarde dth e Devil s Lake , Jamestown , an dThie f River Fall s market s - servic e fro mDevil s Lak

e b e tagge dwit

h Jamestown , B y taggin g Devil s Lak e wit h Jamestow n an dwit

h acooperativ e marketin g effor t betwee n th e Airlin e andth e Airport , adedicate dnon-sto p fligh t wit h us^ ' of all availabl e seat s will resul t i n dramaticall y increase dridershi p here i n Thie f River Falls . ^i!; . • . • - jf* * Respectflilly , •^Jo e Hedric k Airpor t Manage r Thie f River Fall s Regional Airpor

t

•^^. -

* < •

### Pag e 3 of 3



## TK^e f Rive r Fall s Regiona l Airpor t

Authorit y

len Kajewsl Authorit y Chaij^je/son Cit y Councilmember 

# r : /r;\ ^ ^^-J^0,li,^ ^ 

### Do n Jens ^ AuthOji^if y Vice-Chai r Cotuit y Commissioner Darry i Tvditbak

k Authorit y Secretar y Count y Commissioner ^..:.:... .



### Nanc y Toft

e Authorit y Treasurer Rocksbur y Townshi p Chairperso n 'Stev e iQordhage

n '^—- ^ Authorit y Member Thie f Rive r Fall s Mayo r