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January 12, 2011 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova. Gusta^us. 

Petersburg. Wranaell. and Yal<utat. Alaska. Docket OST-1998-4899 J 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is to express strong support Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air 

service to our community. The jet service Alaska currently provided is critical for the 

continued access and economic well being of Cordova as well as that of this entire region of 

the state. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets critical needs that would be 

difficult, if not impossible, to meet with any other type of service or aircraft type. 

Alaska's service connects Cordova passengers through single-plane service to Anchorage 

and Juneau. From these hubs, our community can access the airline's extensive route 

system and benefit from its far-reaching marketing relationships. Cordova, a remote coastal 

Alaska community, is not linked to the Alaska road system and therefore travel to and from 

the community is often already difficult with sporadic ferry services. Community residents 

depend on regular flights ex-Cordova so they can plan food and shopping supply trips, 

medical appointments, business meetings etc. 

During the busy fishing season, local salmon direct marketers and seafood processing plants 

depend on regular air services to meet the demands of seafood consumers and fish 

suppliers in the continental USA. In the summer months, specialized cargo jets transport 

hundreds of thousands of pounds of salmon to Seattle. On the first day of the commercial 

fishing season, Alaska Airlines transports the very first salmon of the season via cargo jet to 

Seattle, where it is hand-delivered by the Alaska Airlines pilot to an awaiting fishmonger from 

Pikes Place Seafood Market. This is a highly publicized and world-renowned event that 

occurs annually. Regular Alaska Airlines service is critical to our regions seafood industry. 
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Alaska's service provides essential cargo (freight and mail) capacity necessary to meet many 

of our community's daily necessities. Alaska has demonstrated its commitment to meet the 

airfreight needs of the communities in the state by investing in the first-ever fleet of 737-400 

combination aircraft. These more modern 737s replaced the older 737-200 combi aircraft in 

Alaska's fleet and provide improved access, capacity and comfort for airline passengers in 

Southeast Alaska. 

Alaska's investment in required navigation performance (RNP) flight technology allows 

access to airports in Southeast Alaska during periods of inclement weather, which enhances 

the reliability of the airline's service to our community. 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to provide 

essential air service to Southeast Alaska, as the airline has successfully done for the last 

thirty years. 

Sincerely, 

Executive Director 

cc: Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Dennis DeVany, Chief, EAS and Domestic Analysis 

The Honorable Sean Parnell, Governor, State of Alaska 

Marc A. Luiken, Commissioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public 

Facilities