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lis . Departmen t o f Transportotio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### . APARTMEN T O F TRAN3P0RWI0 N :T;IiCKE T OPERA ! !0i^; 3 ?Gl i OCi n P U : 2 0 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Woshington , D C 2059 0

Octobe r 17 , 201 1 Mar y Beair d Airport Directo r Southeas t Iow aRegiona l Airport 251 5 Summe r

Stree t Burlington , Iow a5260 1 Dea r Ms . Beaird : I woul dlik e t o update yo u o n th e essentia l ai r servic e situatio n a

t Burlingto n an dgiv e yo u a n opportunit y t o submi t

am y comment s if

yo u wish . In anticipatio n o f th e en do f

th e curren t contrac t wit h Ai r Choic e On e o n January 31 , 2012 , th e Departmen t issue d Orde r 2011-9-9 , Septembe r

14 , 2011 , t o solici t

proposal s firomal l intereste dai r earner s t o provid e EA S at

Burlington , a s wel l a s Decatur , Illinois , for ane w term . I n respons e t o that order , w e receive dproposal s fio mMulti-Aero , Inc . d/b/ aAi r Choic e On e (Aii

Choic e One) , th e incumbent , an dHyanni s Ai r Service , Inc . d/b/ aCap e Ai r (Cap e Air) . Copie s o f eac h proposa l may b e accesse donlin e a t http://www.regulations.go v b y enterin g DOT-OST-2001-873 1 i n th e "Ente r Keywor do r

ID " section . Cap e Ai r propose s four

dail y nonsto p roun dtrip s (2 4 pe r week ) t o Lambert-St . Loui s Intemationa l Airpor t

(St . Louis ) usin g 9-passenge r Cessn a40 2 aircraft . Th e carrie r expect s t o offe

r acode-shai e agreemen t

with America n Airlines . Cap e Ai r propose s a

n armua l subsid y o f

$1,395,03 5 fo

r atwo-yea

r term , o r an annua l subsid y o f

$1,360,89 1 for afour-yea

r term . Ai r Choic e On e propose dseve n options , eac h operatin g with 9-passenge r Cessn aGrein

d Carava n aircraft . Optio n 1 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an dtw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e (di e curren t sei-vic e pattern ) for

a n annua l subsid y o f

$1,976,87 2 (two-yea r teim ) o r $1,917,56 6 (four-yea

r tenn) . Optio n 2 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week) t o St . Loui s an dthre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e for a n amiual subsid y o f $2,492,61 3 (two-year

temi ) o r $2,417,83 5 (four-yea

r temi) . Optio n 3 i s thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y andweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an dthre e nonsto p roun dtiip s eac h weekday an dweeken dto Chicag o O'Har e (1 8 pe r week ) fo r a n annual2 -

subsid y o f

$2,779,51 9 (two-year

temi ) o r $2,696,13 3 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 4 i s fiv e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(3 0 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s for

a n annua l subsid y o f

$2,207,85 0 (two-year

term ) o r $2,141,61 5 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 5 i s fiv e " nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(3 0 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e fo r a n annual subsid y o f

$2,624,35 4 (two-yea

r term ) o r $2,545,62 3 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 6 i s si x nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday an dweeken d(3 6 pe r week ) t o Chicago O'Har e for a n amiua i subsid y o f

$2,853,99 0 (two-year

term ) o r $2,768,37 0 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 7 i s apackag e wit h Decatur , Illinois , that

include s 3 6 weekl y nonsto p roun dtrip s fo r Burlingto n an dDecatu r

(1 8 nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Chicag o O'Har e an d1 8 nonsto p roun dtrip s t o St . Louis) , fo r a n annual subsid y of

$5,220,90 1 (two-year

term ) o r $5,168,69 2 (four-yea

r term) . Option s 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , an d7 propos e mor e servic e for Burlingto n than th e Departmen t solicite di

n it s reques t

fo r proposals . Pleas e not e tha

t th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n in th e proposa l d o no t necessaril y reflec t th e averag e local far

e Burlingto n passenger s woul dactuall y pay , but , rather , reflec t aprorate dportio n of

th e total ticke t

price , e.g. , th e Burlingto n - St . Loui s portio n of aBurlingto n - St . Loui s - Washington , D.C . ticke t tha t th e subsidize dcarrie r

woul d realize . Also , th e fare show n i s ne t of certai n charge s suc h a s Federa l transportatio n security fees , excis e o r

ticke t taxes , an dPassenge r

Facility Charges . O f

course , carrier s hav e th e discretio n t o charg e fare s the y dee mappropriate , an dth e passenge r fare s presente din thi s proposa l hav e bee n develope dfo r subsid y rat e computatio n purpose s only. . Yo u shoul dals o not e tha

t th e schedule s thatth e carrie r ha s submitte dar e illustrativ e only , an dthat the y may mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g cormectin g ban k time s a t th e hub . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r carrier s t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space dflight s in orde r t o ensur e full compensation . W e as k tha t yo u submi t any comment s you ma

y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t i n an y cas e n o later tha n Novembe r

14 , 2011 . W e wil l carefull y conside r your comment s before w e submi t arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary fo

r adecision . Shoul dyou hav e an y question s o r

nee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t your comments , pleas e le t

u s know . Pleas e sen dyou r

comment s vi ae-mai l t o EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f you hav e an y questions , pleas e feel fre e t o contac t Kevi n Schlemme r

of m y staf f a t kevin.schlemmer@dot.go v o r 202-366-3176 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sen t

t o th e Mayo r

of Burlington . Sincerely, *

Denni s J . DeVan y Chief , Essentia l Ai r

Servic e