December 2, 2014

Mr. Kevin Schlemmer, Chief, EAS Division Office ofAviation Analysis U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590
Re: Continuation ofAlaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova, Gustavus, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Yakutat, Alaska, Docket OST-1998-4899
Dear Mr. Schlemmer:
This letter is to express strong support forthe selection ofAlaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air service to our community. Alaska's current pattern ofservice- usingjet aircraft- meets crucial needs that would be difficult, if not impossible, to meetwith any othertype ofservice 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 benefitfrom its marketing relationships with other carriers. The passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacitythat a non-jet carrier simply cannot provide. Further, the Alaska Airlines aircraft are equipped with Required Navigation Performance Technology, which enables the airline to reliably access the airport during inclementweather, thus reducing diversions and cancellations and, in turn, enabling people and products to dependably reach the community. Because of my position working in a medical setting, Iwould also like to point outthat Alaska Airlines services are essential in the medical care for many ofour patients. Although medical specialists will periodically come to Wrangell to provide care, there are manytimes when it would be detrimental for patients to wait until the specialist's next scheduled clinic. Although ferry service is available, the ferry rides are lengthy and there are many cases in which reliable air transportation is essential. A good example ofthis would be when Obstetrical (OB) patients are ready to deliver. Wrangell does not offer labor and delivery services locally. Therefore OB patients musttravel to largerfacilities for delivery. Although there are ferries available from Wrangell to largercommunities it is felt that the transport time away from medical services is too lengthy putting an OB patient at risk ofdelivering while aboard the ferry. Instead, they recommend that these patients travel by commercial air (Alaska Airlines) because of its relative reliability and speed. This same argument can be made for patients with other conditions that may not require an air ambulance but could become emergent overthe course ofa ferry ride.
Forthese reasons, Alaska Airlines is critical to the economic and medical well-being ofour community and I support their application to provide Essential Air Service to Southeast Alaska.
Sincerely, 

# 7?---7 

# ;z---
Kara Helgeson PO Box 1401 Wrangell, Alaska 99929November**~2014** i Mr. Kevin Schlemmer, Chief, EAS Division Office ofAviation Analysis U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590

Re: Continuation ofAlaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova, Gustavus, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Yakutat, Alaska, Docket OST-1998-4899
Dear Mr. Schlemmer : This letter is to express strong support forthe selection ofAlaska Airlines to continue to provide essential airservice to our communitywhich I depend on for convenient traveling to see family all overthe states, fortaking vacations abroad through your partner plans, forshipping items we can't purchase locally, and to bring people to our communities forwork and pleasure.
Alaska's service connects Southeast Alaska passengers to one or more major communities of interest, with single-plane service toAnchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or Seattle. From these hubs, our community can access the airline's extensive route system and benefitfrom its marketing relationships with othercarriers. The passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacity that other carriers simply cannot provide. Further, AlaskaAirlines aircraft are equipped with Required Navigation Performance Technology, which enables the airline to reliably accessthe airport during inclement weather, thus reducing diversions and cancellations and, in turn, enabling people and products to dependably reach the community. Simply put, Alaska Airlines' service is critical to the economicwell-being ofour community and I support their application to provide Essential Air Service to Southeast Alaska. You are our life linkto the rest oftheworld.
Sincerely,

Curt Kautz

# ~

# o &,x 

# lQd-..**~('u_X\~d\**

# A-\z.**qqqd-~**November)>2014
Mr. Kevin Schlemmer, Chief, EAS Division Office ofAviation Analysis U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590

Re: Continuation ofAlaska Airlines' Essential Air Service at Cordova, Gustavus, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Yakutat, Alaska, Docket OST-1998-4899
Dear Mr. Schlemmer : This letter is to express strong support forthe selection ofAlaska Airlines to continue to provide essential air service to ourcommunity which I depend on for convenient traveling to seefamily all overthe states, fortaking vacations abroad through your partner plans, forshipping items we can't purchase locally, and to bring people to our communities forwork and pleasure.
Alaska's service connects Southeast Alaska passengers to one or more major communities of interest, with single-plane service toAnchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan or Seattle. From these hubs, our community can accessthe airline's extensive route system and benefitfrom its marketing relationships with other carriers. The passenger and cargo aircraft, which Alaska Airlines proposes to continue using on this route, provides freight, mail and cargo capacitythat other carriers simply cannot provide. Further, Alaska Airlines aircraft are equipped with Required Navigation Performance Technology, which enables the airline to reliably accessthe airport during inclement weather, thus reducing diversions and cancellations and, in turn, enabling people and products to dependably reach the community. Simply put, Alaska Airlines' service is critical tothe economicwell-being of our community and I supporttheir application to provide Essential Air Service to Southeast Alaska. You are our life linktothe rest ofthe world.
Sincerely,

# ~~~~ Jonna Kautz

# ~ooox 

# LQ·d**wru.~co-e1\** I

# A\z**~qc(d-_q**