U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

OffiCe of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Mark R. Warner 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Warner: 

JUL 12012 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Newport News/Williamsburg 

International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small 

Community Air Service Development Program. 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air service 

deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, 

the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant awards 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 deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the 

types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting 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 fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter 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. 

Sincerely yours, 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director, Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
MARK R. WARNER 

SENATOR ElECT 

itnitcd ~tatcs ~cnatc 

Ms. Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Department of Transportation 

Small Community Program, W86-310 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Ms. Ley, 

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 

June 6, 2012 

I write in support of the application submitted by the Newport-News/Williamsburg 

International Airport (PHF) for funding under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program. This grant will assist the airport in attracting air service to off-set the losses incurred 

with AirTran's departure. 

I understand the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is in a situation 

unlike any other airport of its size. When AirTran discontinued service after the Southwest 

Airlines Merger was approved by the Department of Justice, the airport lost over 1,000 daily 

departing seats. The loss of seat capacity has resulted in a significant loss of business; jobs have 

been eliminated and the economic impact in the area has suffered tremendously. The Small 

Community Air Service Development Program has helped many airports and communities 

jumpstart their efforts. These funds will go a long way to assist the Newport NewsWilliamsburg International Airport in regaining its seat capacity. 

I appreciate your consideration of this project. If my office can provide you with any 

further information, please don't hesitate to contact Kelly Thomasson at 202-224-2023 or 

kelly _thomasson@warner.senate,.gov. 

Sincerely, 

MARK R. WARNER 

United States Senator