## Swanson , Bria n (OST)

Subject : FW : An yupdate ? Attachments : CCI00001.pd f

Origina l Messag e From : Maniste e Airpor t [mailto:manisteeairport@gmail.coni ] Sent : Wednesday , Septembe r 98 , 201 0 3:2 9 PM To : Devany , Denni s (OST ) Cc : Duan e DuRay Subject : Re : Anyupdate ? Dennis , jr

W e ar e al l frustrated . Somethin g need s t o chang e wit hregard s t o th e servicf o bein ^ offere d t o Maniste e and Ironwood . Th e statu s qu o wit hGrea t Lake s i s no t working . I hav e bee n reluctan t t o complai nt o you , sinc e I realiz e tha t yo u ar e doin g you r bes t give nth e constraint s yo u ar e workin g under . Howeve r th e event s o f th e las t wee k hav e pushe d m e t o th e poin t tha t I cann o longe r remai n silent . O nThursda ySep t 2nd , th e sol e GL Aaircraf t servicin g Maniste e an d Ironwoo d experience d a mechanica l issue . I nand o f itsel f tha t isn' t a proble msinc e w e al l kno wtha t airplane s hav e mechanica l issue s fro mtim e t o time . I t i s ho wGrea t Lake s deal t wit hth e situatio ntha t i s th e problem . I hav e attache d a lette r fro mon e o f th e affecte d passenger s tha t explain s thing s bette r tha nI could . Bu t I wil l howeve r stat e tha t i t wa s a ful l tw o day s befor e w e sawou r nex t GLAfligh t t o Maniste e ( 8 flight s i na ro wwer e cancelle d from Thursda yafternoo nunti l Saturda yafternoon) . Thi s bein g a holidayweekend man ypassenger' s weekend s wer e ruined . The nyesterda ya s som e o f th e sam e passenger s wh o had difficultie s las t wee k gettin g t o Maniste e an d Ironwoo d las t wee k wer e tryin g t o leav e w e hav e ye t agai n anothe r mechanica l issu e cancelin g 24 hour s wort ho f flights . Th e cancellatio npercentage s fo r Grea t Lake s hav e bee nabysma l durin g th e tw o winter s the y hav e bee nservin g Maniste e (De c '0 8 36 % cancelled ; Fe b'0 9 18 % cancelled ; De c '0 9 25 % cancelled ; Da n'1 0 23 % cancelled) , tru e som e i s weathe r related , bu t th e vas t majorit yi s not . Whil e summer s hav e bee nbetter , whe nthing s g o wron g lik e the ydi d thi s pas t weekend , the yg o wron g i na bi g way . Afe whou r delaydu e t o a mechanica l i s aninconvenience , bu t 4 8 hour s o f cancelle d flight s i s muc hmuc hmor e tha ninconvenient . I nspit e o f al l th e problems , 201 0 shoul d b e th e bes t yea r eve r fo r passenge r traffi c a t MB L (o r a t leas t sinc e 197 8 whic hi s al l th e farthe r bac k m yrecord s go) . Fo r th e las t 1 2 month s throug hAugus t 201 0 w e hav e had 703 6 tota l passenger s i nand ou t o f Manistee , whic hcompare s wit h592 2 fo r th e bes t previou s Sept-Au g (2006-2007) . Thi s yea r i s 19 % bette r tha nan y previou s year . And i nDul yw e had 107 2 passenger s whic hwa s ou r bes t singl e mont hever , i n fac t i t wa s 30 % bette r tha nou r previou s bes t month . S o i f ou r passenge r number s ar e doin g well , whyamI complaining ? Grea t Lake s ha s brough t t o Maniste e goo d fare s and non-sto p servic e wit ha reasonabl e schedule . Thos e hav e resulte d i nincreasin g enplanement s eve ndurin g a downeconomy . Howeve r wit hpoo r reliabilit yan d poo r custome r servic e th e gain s tha t hav e bee nmad e wil l be los t ove rtime . Peopl e ar e forgivin g o f a n occasiona l servic e issue , howeve r wit hrepeate d poo r servic e the ywil l eventuall ytak e thei r busines s t o som e othe r airport . And onc e accustome d t o travelin g fro mothe r airport s i t wil l b e difficul t t o wi nthe mback .Whil e a nearl y50 % growt hyea r ove r yea r (Sep08-Aug0 9 v s Sep09-Augl0 ) i s ver ygood , I kno w

wit hbette r mor e reliabl e servic e i t coul d be muc hbetter . Th e situatio na t Ironwoo d i s muc hwors e tha na t Maniste e wit hpassenge r number s plummetin g sinc e Grea t Lake s too k ove r service . Whyhav e passenge r number s plummete d a t Ironwoo d whil e the yhav e bee nstron g a t Manistee , give ntha t th e fare s ar e similar , an d th e poo r reliabilit y and poo r custome r servic e ar e similar ? Th e reasonabl e explanatio ni s tha t whil e Maniste e ha s a goo d schedul e wit hwel l time d flight s fo r connection s a t Milwaukee , Ironwoo d doe s not . Als o Ironwood' s one-sto p servic e vs . Manistee' s non-sto p servic e als o make s a differenc e (althoughIronwoo d had one-sto p servic e unde r Skywa yand had muc hbette r number s tha nwit h Grea t Lakes) . O f th e fou r statutoril ymandate d selectio ncriteri a fo r Essentia l Ai r Service , Grea t Lake s fall s woefull yshor t o n'demonstrate d reliability. ' Bac k i nth e firs t round o f bidding , bot hManiste e and Ironwoo d supporte d (mayb e somewha t reluctantly ) th e bi d o f Grea t Lakes . Th e reaso nw e supporte d tha t bi d wa s tha t w e wer e tol d b yGrea t Lake s tha t b yhavin g a large r presenc e i nMilwauke e wit hfou r EA S citie s t o serv e Grea t Lake s woul d solv e thei r reliabilit yproblem s a s mor e aircraf t woul d b e availabl e t o provid e backup whe nissue s occurred . Give nth e comment s I hav e read fro mvariou s Grea t Lake s serve d communitie s acros s thei r system , I amn o longe r convince d thi s i s true . And eve ni f Grea t Lake s wer e t o resolv e thei r reliabilit yissue s tha t doesn' t addres s thei r custome r servic e issues . Grea t Lake s doe s no t hav e a corporat e cultur e tha t place s a nemphasi s o n goo d custome r service . No wI realiz e tha t i nth e curren t biddin g cycle , ther e mayno t b e anythin g yo u ca nd o t o solv e th e issue s I a mraisin g here , however , I d o believ e i t i s importan t tha t yo u full y understand ou r situatio na t Maniste e and Ironwoo d a s i t relate s t o ou r curren t servic e wit h Grea t Lake s and ou r desir e fo r anawar d t o Charte r Ai r Transport . sincerely , BarryLin

d Airpor t Manage r Maniste e Count yBlacke r Airpor t