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ULS . Departmen t o f TTonsportatio n Offic e o f Ih e Secretary

* o f Transportatio n 

### -ARTMENTO F

NS^ORiATlO N :EiCPERiJiO i \ l F [ U " J /- \ 

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Assistdn t Secretar

y 120 0 Ne wJerse yAve. , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0

Januar y27 , 201 2 

### Th e Honorabl e JCrist

i Noe m U . S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congresswoman Noem : Than k yo u for you r lette r supportin g th e selectio no f SkyWes t Airlines , Inc. , d/b/aDelt a Connectio n (SkyWest) , t o provid e essential ai r servic e (TEAS

) a t Aberdeen . I amplease d t o infor myo u tihat

b y Order 2012-1-2 3 w e selecte dSkyWes t t o provid e EA S at

Aberdee n consistin g o f

1 4 nonsto p roun dtrip s pe r wee k to Minneapolis . A s you know , o n Jul y 15,2011 , Mesaba/Pinnacle , d/b/aDelt aConnectio n(Delta) , filed notic e t o leav e Aberdeen , alon g with2 3 other conamunities . A t

al l o f thos e communitie s Delt awa s th e onl y carrier

providin g schedule dservice . A s aresult , b y Orde r 2011-9-5 , date dSeptember

13,2011 , w e require dDelt at o continu e t o provid e EA S pas t th e en do f it s 90-da y notic e perio dan drequeste dproposals . I nresponse , a t Aberdee nw e receive d proposal s fi'omonl y on e carrier , SkyWest . Because , a s yo u indicated , Aberdee ni s amon g th e larges t traffic-generatin g communitie s inth e EA S program , upo n revie w w e agree dthat th e appropriate leve l o f

subsidize d servic e fo r tiie conununity shoul db e th e maximu mo f tw o roun dtrip s pe r

day , seve nday s per week , wit hth e 50-seat

CRJ-20 0 aircraf

t SkyWes t propose s t o operate . SkyWes t originally requeste d$1,525,68 3 annual subsidy for that service , but

ultimatel y agree dt o $1,198,222 . If I ma y b e o f further assistance , pleas e d o no t

hesitate t o contac t

me . Sincerely yours ,

Susa nL . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y for Aviatio nan dInternational Affair s, KRIST I NOE M

SOUT H DAKOTA , AT-LARG E 22 6 CANNO N BUIIDIN G WASHINGTON , D C 2051 S (202 ) 225-280 1 1-«SS-22S-280 1 EMAI L VI A WEDUTE : NOEM,HOUSE,GO

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20515-410 0 Decembe r16,201 1 Ms . Susa n Kurlan d /\ssistan t Secretar yfo rAviatio n an d Internationa l Affair s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S.E . Washington , DC 2059 0 o. ? U J > -J D 1 ' 1 .-.-:_. „

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Dea rAssistan t Secretar

yKurland : A s yo u know , earlie rthi s yea rDelt a Airline s announce d the ywoul d b e retirin g it s flee t o f Saab regiona l jet s whic h effectivel ycu t servic e i n 2 4 communitie s acros s th e country . Delta' s announcemen t provide d th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n (DOT ) th e opportunit yt o solici t bid s fo rne wcarrier s t o begi n servic e i n Essentia l Ai rServic e (EAS ) communities . On e o f thes e communitie s wa s Aberdeen , Sout h Dakota . SkyWest Airline s responde d t o th e DOT' s Request fo rProposa l t o provid e servic e i n Aberdee n throug h th e EA S program . I n It s proposal , SkyWest followe d th e directio n o f th e DO Tt o offe rtwic e dail yservice , o r1 4 round-tri p flight s pe rweek , fro m Aberdee n t o Minneapolis , Minnesota . Th e DO Thas indicate d i t woul d likel ysuppor t a 12-tri p pe rwee k schedul e becaus e SkyWest i s usin g a highe rcapacit yaircraft . Th e DOT' S EA

S progra m doe s conside rcommunit yinpu t whe n selectin g th e carrie ran d th e servic e pattern . Aberdeen' s preferenc e i s t o maintai n th e 14-tri p pe rwee k schedule , an d I woul d as k tha t yo u giv e fai rconsideratio n t o th e community' s preference . Furthermore , November' s fligh t loa d wa s mor e tha n 80 % makin g Aberdee n on e o f th e bes t performin g communitie s impacte d b yDelta' s discontinuance . Thi s stron g performanc e shoul d als o b e note d i n th e fina l decisio n o n th e numbe ro f flight s servicin g Aberdeen . I reques t tha t yo u wor k

wit h SkyWes t an d th e cit yo f Aberdee n t o com e t o a timel yagreemen t o n th e EA S program . I t i s importan t t o th e communit yan d al l thos e tha t utiliz e th e Aberdee n airpor t tha t thi s issu e b e resolve d s o tha t service s ar e no t disrupted . I appreciat e you rconsideratio n o f loo k forwar d t o hearin g fro m yo u o n thi s issu e i n th e nea rfuture . Regards ,
r'KristiNoe m Membe ro f Congres s

231 0 WES T41S TSTREC T

SUIT E 10 1 SIOU X FAUS , S D 5710 6 teos ) 275-286 S 34 3 QuiNC Y STREE T BAPI O CITV . S D 5770 1 (BOB ) 791-467 3 SO S 12T H STREET , S E WATERTOWN . S O 5720 1 1605 ) 878-286 8 41 5 SOUT H MAI N STREE T SUIT E 20 3 AOERDEEN . S D 5740 1 1605 1 262-280 2 PRINTE D O N RECYCLE D PAPE R