## CIT YO F OI L CIT Y CIT Y PLAZ A• 2 1 SENEC ASTREE T OI L CITY , PENNSYLVANI A1630 1

Jul y22 , 201 0 Mr . Denni s J . D e Van y Chief , Essentia l Ai rService Division , X-5 3 Offic e of Aviatio n Analysi s U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Dea rMr . D e Vany : I a m writin g t o yo u i n suppor t o f th e Gulfstrea m Int' l Airline s proposal , Optio n On e (1) , t o provid e schedule d ai rservic e t o Franklin/Oi l Cit y(FKL) unde rth e Essentia l Ai r Servic e program . Franklin/Oi l Cit y(FKL) lost ai rservic e alon g wit h othe rEA S communitie s i n Ma

yof 200 8 whe n th e contracte d ai rcarrie rcease d operations . Service wa s reinitiate d o n Septembe r3 , 200 8 wit h Gulfstrea m Int I Airline s operatin g as Continenta l Connectio n throug h th e Continenta l Airline s hu b i n Cleveland , Ohio . Th e effor t t o regai n th e trave l market lost du e t o th e thre e month s withou t ai r servic e i s on-goin g an d substantial . Additionally , th e natio n experience d th e worst recessio n i n th e past fift

y(50 ) year

s almost a s soo n a s Gulfstrea m bega n FK L service . Th e economi c"recovery " has bee n sporadi cnationwid e an d negligible , thu s far , i n th e Franklin/Oi l Cit

yarea . Thi s region , whic h ha d bee n particularl ydevastate d eve n prio rt o 200 8 du e t o plan t closing s an d layoffs , ha s bee n workin g t o reinven t it s economy . Th e 200 8 recessio n wa s a furthe rsetback . Just a littl e ove ra yea rint o th e ne wai rservice , i n November , 2009 , bega n th e wors t winte ri n manyyears . December , Januar yan d Februar

ysa wth e ai rcarrie r cance l sixty-fiv e (65 ) FK L flight s du e t o weather . That' s twenty-on e percen t o f th e FK L flight s fo rthos e months . Additionally , th e trave l market wa s negativel yimpacte d i n 200 8 an d 200 9 b

yth e SAR S viru s an d th e Swin e Flu . Thes e issue s reall ycause d a set-bac k fo ra fragil e market that wa s alread y shake n du e t o th e lost servic e earlie ri n th e year .

PHONE : 814-678-301 2 • FAX : 814-678-308 6Pag e 2 Th e communitie s o f Franklin/Oi l Cit ysuppor t Gulfstream' s Optio n # 1 servic e throug h Clevelan d an d wil l wor k closel ywit h th e Airpor

t an d Gulfstrea m throug h th e Save ou rServic e (SOS ) effor t t o improv e passenge renplanement s agai n b e unde rth e $200.0 0 pe rpassenge rcap . Th e servic e offere d usin g Clevelan d as a hu b give s thi s communit ymor e non-sto p destination s an d reasonabl e connection s an d fares . Gulfstrea m has prove n t o b e ver ycustomer-consciou s an d th e Continenta l Connection/Continenta l bran d i s becomin g a favorit e i n thi s region . Th e Airpor t work s closel ywit h th e publi can d th e ai rcarrie ro n communicatio n an d custome rservic e a s wel l a s providin g a cost-fre e busines s environmen t fo rth e carrier . Thes e fact s wil l mak e th e SO S effor

t successful . Th e citizen s o f Frankli n an d Oi l Cit yas wel l as th e entire Oi l Heritag e Regio n wan t th e timely , dependabl e ai rservic e propose d b yGulfstrea m an d request that th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n provid e thi s chang e t o continu e th e rebuildin g o f thi s economy . Gulfetream' s Optio n 1 ca n serv e a s a hug e stimulu s t o thi s region . Th e regio n i s experiencin g th e beginning s o f a positiv e tren d i n busines s developmen t thank

s t o th e har

d wor k o f ou rlegislator

s an d communit

yleaders . Meaningful , schedule d ai rservic e i s a keyelemen t i n th e succes s o f thi s venture . Thi s rura l are a shoul d b e allowe d t o compet e wit h th e large rurba n area s o n a leve l playin g field . Viabl e commercia l ai rservic e help s leve l that playin g fiel d an d i s necessar yfo r busines s developmen t an d sustaine d economi cgrowth . W e as k that yo u recommen d thi s proposa l t o th e Deput ySecretary . Than k yo u fo ryou rwor k

o n th e Essentia l Ai rService progra m o n behal f o f th e communitie s o f Franklin/Oi l Cit yan d th e Oi l Region .

Ver y ini)>f

i yours . Le e Mehlburge r^' ' Oi l Cit yCouncilma n LM/jI k