ACTIO N 

Pettiford, Marie (OST) 

SlO-110120-056 

CONTROL NO 

From: 

Sent: 

To: 

Cc: 

Subject: 

Attachments: 

Jessica Rooney [jessica.rooney@akics.org] 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 5:00 PM 

LaHood. Ray (OST) 

Kurland, Susan (OST); Devany, Dennis (OST); 

Sean.parnell@alaska.gov; Marc.luiken@alaska.gov-commissioner 

Southeast Alaska Essential Air Service 

AK Airlines Support Letter.doc 

January 19, 2011 

The Honorable Ray LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

; - j 

"0 

en 

Re: Continuation of Alaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova. Gustavus. Petersburg. Wranaell. and Yakutat. Alaska. 

Docket OST-1998-4899 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

This letter is to express strong support for the selection of Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air service to our community. 

Alaska's current pattern of service - using jet aircraft - meets crucial needs that would be difficult, if not impossible, to meet with any 

other type of service or aircraft type: 

Alaska's service connects Southeast Alaska passengers to one or more major communities of interest, with single-plane service to 

Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or Seattle. From these hubs, our community can access the airline's extensive route system and benefit 

from its marketing relationships with other carriers. The 737-400 combination ("combi") passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska 

Airiines proposes to continue using on this route, provides freight mail and cargo capacity that a non-jet carrier simply cannot provide. 

Further, the 737-400 combi aircraft is equipped with Required Navigation Perfomiance Technology precision technology, which enables 

the airline to reliably access the airport during Inclement weather, thus reducing diversions and cancellations and, in turn, enabling 

people and products to dependably reach the community. In sum, Alaska's jet service is critical to the economic well being of our 

community. 

In addition, our Alaska Airlines service provides transportation for people needing to seek medical attention elsewhere. In particular, the 

pregnant women in our community who need to travel to receive obstetrical services. We are unable to deliver babies locally and have 

to travel our patients out to await delivery in nearby communities (Ketchikan and Juneau). Without this service, a pregnant woman may 

have to take a ferry, which would leave her without medical care for a number of hours, during a crucial time in her pregnancy. 

Without this sen/ice to our community, 

to think that this is a possibility. 

fear we would become so isolated our economy would dissolve completely and it saddens me 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge DOT to select Alaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air service to Southeast Alaska, 

as the arriine has successftjily done for more than thirty years. 

Sincerely, 

Jessica Rooney 

PO Box 307 

Wrangell, AK 99929 

907-874-2307 

iessjaseroQ@gmail.com 
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, Comnnlssioner, Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 

A.X.C.S. - TcdeLCne^ClCnCO' 

P.O. 30^123 1 

Wron^elZ/, AK 99929 

pK: 907-87^-5029 

ixi^: 907-87^-^719 

Unauthorized interception of this e-mail communication could be a violation of federal/state law(s). The documents provided in this transmittal 

contain confidential information. They belong to the sender and are legally privileged. The information contained herein is intended for use only by 

the authorized receiver named above. It cannot be redisclosed for use by any other party. If you are not the authorized receiver, you are hereby 

notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the information contained herein is prohibited. If you have 

received these documents in error, notify the sender Immediately by telephone to arrange for the return of the original documents to said sender or to 

receive instructions for their destruction.