.... 

MORRISON 

MAIERLEt INC. 

An Employee-Owned Company 

April12, 2013 

US Department of Transportation 

Docket Operations, M-30 

West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140 

1200 New Jersey Ave. SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Essential Air Service, 

Lewistown, Montana 

(Including Miles City, Montana) 

Docket DOT-OST-1997-2605 

Dear Sirs; 

; ·~ 

LJ 

ENGINEERS 

SURVEYORS 

PLANNERS 

· ' .. ,, ; ;·:, ;;;:/.i( (!: SCIENTISTS 

... ' ;::; ;: !"; {i.;ij~~~~ING PLACE • PO BOX 6147 • HELENA, MT 59604 

· · ( · r id @f~l~:~:®:.~~l~3050 • FAX: 406-442-7862 • www.m-m;net 1 \_'"j L f !/"\} {\)~\·) 

Morrison - Mal erie Inc. is an Engineering firm that provides Airport Engineering .services to the 

Lewistown Municipal Airport, as well as other similar communities in rural Montana to help 

them maintain their airports. We know firsthand these airports are essential to these 

communities and their economic prosperity. Loss of essential air service would have a 

significant negative economic impact to these communities. 

Morrison - Maierle Inc. respectfully requests you reconsider your plan to terminate the EAS 

program to these communities based on numbers received from the current year. Essential Air 

Service is a viable, cost-worthy program as shown in years past, prior to Silver Airways. For 

example, in 2009 Great Lakes Airlines' passenger count for Lewistown, MT. was 2070, at a 

subsidy value of $961,877 for a per passenger cost of $464.67(1). In 2010, Great Lakes 

Airlines' passenger count for Lewistown was 1400 at a subsidy value of $941,919.00 for a per 

passenger cost of $672.80(1,2). These values are well under the $1 ,000.00 threshold and the 

service provided at that time was what the community wanted and needed. 

Morrison - Maierle Inc. requests the U.S. Department of Transportation not terminate the EAS 

eligibility at these airports at this time. Your decision appears to be based on the values for just 

the recent year, when the service provided has been sub-par. Let the communities maintain 

their Essential Air Service and select a carrier this year based on what their respective 

communities need In an air-carrier. We are confident these numbers will once again approach 

the 2009 values, and probably even higher if given a chance with the proper service. 

If Essential Air Service is eliminated at these communities, it has been suggested that they are 

not eligible to get it back. Considering the commitment In dollars these communities have 

provided in maintenance, equipment, and services over the years to accommodate this 

service, it would be a shame to lose it now, and possibly forever. Lewistown alone has spent 

1. Montana Department of Transportation 

2. Passenger numbers were affected by a main runway reconstruction project which closed the airport for a month 
MORRISON 

MAIERLE, INC. 

nearly $4 million over the last 4 years upgrading their airport to higher safety and quality 

standards to provide a safe operating environment for air service to their community. 

As stated, and for reasons noted herein, Morrison - Maierle Inc. is requesting the Department 

of Transportation not terminate Essential Air Service at these communities at this time. Allow 

the communities sufficient time to re-evaluate the service carriers and chose the right carrier to 

get this service back on track where it should be, where it has been. 

Sincerely, 

Morrison - Maierle Inc. 

N~'-