### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC 20590

The Honorable Thad Cochran United States Senate Washington, DC 

### 20510

Dear SenatorCochran: July 17, 2012

Thankyou for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport for a grantunderthe U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small CommunityAir Service

. . Development Program.
The Small Community AirService DevelopmentProgram was established to help smaller communities address air servicedeficiencies, particularly issues related to highairfares or insufficient service. Under.the statute, the Departmentmay make a maximumof

### 40 grant awards each year, although no more than4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to theirair service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojectsthat can be funded.
On May 

### 15, the Department issued an orderrequesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year tile theirapplications by June 

### 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, Icannotcomment on the merits ofany particularproposaL I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals thathave been properly filed.
As is our normal practice, I am placing c · DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contacto 1d th this program. yourinterest in

# l

I f"HAD COCHRAN

. ··.:, :n 

# ':Jnitct1**;~tatrs ~Senate**  'NASHINGTON. DC 20510-2402 June 9, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary of Transportation 

## u.s. Department of Transportation 400 Seventh street, 

## sw i'lashington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary LaHood: .**-~·.;~,11TI2E** ON -,i'P.OPf'ir:,TtOf·!S**-~C~.lf,iiTIEE** ON uGPIC.ULTURE. NUT!":ITim-J. fli,lt) fORESTRY COMMITTEE ON

i1Ul.ESAND**.~OMINISTRATION**

It has come to my attention that the**Gulfport~:Siloxi** lnternational Airport has applied to your office for Small Communicy .Air Service Development Program grant funds. I understand that the grant will be used to restore air service to/from key Florida markets. As you know, the economy of the Mississippi Gulf coast has been deeply impacted in recent years by Hurricane Katrina and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. · Additionally, the declining levels of overall airline competition and the loss of Gulfport-Biloxi's only low-cost carrier in March of 2011 dictate that the Mississippi Gulf Coast tourism industry partners find other avenues to provide much needed tourism revenue. The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is aggressively pursuing new air service in an effort to restore the vital link to Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, or other Florida cities. I am confident that you will give every possible consideration to awarding a Small Community Air Service Development Grant to this airport, as these funds will be important in finalizing an agreement with a targeted**~ir** carrier.
As a courtesy to me, I would appreciate the attachment of this letter of support to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport's application in file. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. Sincerely,

_ _...-::7 

## .,;? ,/"**~/**£ ;''

# /'?,.~ --<rHAD COCHRAN

United States Senator
TC/mbm