### # 1 OrPARTMENTOF

Mfc / J ;ANSPpRWION , U&DepCNtmen t o f • • i ' ' " f OPERATION' S 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

y " / ' ; J I >, /l' ^

i(] : :> r ofTronsportaticx i

Septembe r 30 , 201 0

Th e Honorabl e Ji mMarshal l U.S

. Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congressma n Marshall : Than k yo u for you r lette r o f Augus t 1 0 regardin g essentia l ai r servic e (EAS ) a

t Macon , Georgia

. A s yo u know , th e Departmen t issue dOrde r

2010-5-33 , Ma y 28 , 2010 , requestin g proposal s fromcarrier s intereste di n providin g replacemen t servic e at

Macon , a s wel l a s Athens , for th e two-year

perio dbegirmin g Octobe r 1 , 2010

. I n respons e t o ou r request , w e receive d proposal s fro mPacifi c Wings , L.L.C

. d/b/ aGeorgi aSkie s (th e incumbent) , Gulfstrea m Internationa l Airlines , Charte r Ai r Transpoit , Inc. , an dSovereig n Air, Inc

. A s yo u mentione di n you r letter , Macon' s enplanement s hav e decline di n recen t years . I n fact , basedo n availabl e dat afo r 2009 , ther e wer e 2,98 7 passenger s enplane dan ddeplane d a t Macon

. Th e curren t

aimual subsid y amoun t

fo r Pacifi c Wings ' curren t

contrac t t o provid e EA S at

Maco n i s $1,386,306 , resultin g i n asubsid y pe r passenge r

o f $464

. Prospectively , Pacifi c Wing s ha s propose dacontinuatio n o f th e $1,386,30 6 rate , whil e Gulfstream , th e carrie r

favore db y th e community , propose da n aimual subsid y o f $2,733,975 , whic h woul dresul t i n asubsid y pe r

passenge r

i n exces s o f

$900

. A s yo u ar e aware , th e Departmen t

i s prohibite dfro msubsidizin g ai r servic e at

acommunity wher e th e subsid y pe r

passenge r

exceed s $200 , unles s th e communit y i s mor e tha n 21 0 highwa y mile s fro mth e neares t

larg e o r mediu mhu b airport

. Maco n exceed s th e $20 0 pe r passenge r

cap an di t i s fewer tha n 21 0 mile s fro malarg e o r mediu mhub , i.e. , i t

i s 8 2 mile s fro mAtlanta

Hartsfiel dInternationa l Airport

. However , rathe r

tha n terminat e Macon' s servic e eligibilit y a t thi s stage , th e Departmen t ha s decide dt o rejec t

th e cunen t

proposal s an drebi dth e cas e i n an effor t t o obtai n proposal s tlia t sho w areasonabl e prospec t for reducin g th e subsid y pe r passenge r

belo w th e statutory cap . Durin g th e 30-da y windo w for proposals , w e expec t

th e communit y t o wor

k aggressivel y wit

h al l potentia l applicant s t o mitigat e som e o f th e risk s tha

t th e carrier s may fac e i n a n attemp t t o lowe r subsid y levels , 1 asstii e you dial lii e Deparlmei K will e\'alua( eU nroiM-.s,;!!'- : - 1 ihmitl'f dhef'r*r e C'^mmil(!'*'

£t'' ^ ? • nvij-vea r contt'u^i o r

makhi ? afina

l detenriiiiatio n o n Macon' s continuin g eligibility

. Consisten t

with longstandin g progra mpractice , w e giv e great weigh t t o community' s views

. W e wil l appris e you r offic e a s soo n a s th e Departmen t issue s afinal decision

. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I amplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2007-2867 1 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s matter
. Sincerel y yours .

Denni s J

. DeVa*? ' < ^ " Chie f EA S & Domesti c Analysi s Divisio n