& U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

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### / P A K rL- ) Assistan t Secretar y 

### MA R 

### 3 1 201 1 120 0 Ne w Jerse yAvenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0



### Th e Honorabl e Lawrenc e N . Seilhame r Senato r for th e Distric t

o f Ponc e E l Capito l i o P.O . Bo x 902343 1 Sa n Juan , P R00902-343 1 Dea r Senato r Seilhamer : Thank yo u for you r Februar y 2 5 lette r

regardin g assistanc e t o th e Mercedit aAirport unde r th e Essential Ai r

Servic e (HAS ) program . A s yo u probabl y know , Ponc e ha s formall y appeale dth e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportation' s decisio n t o rel y o n JetBlue' s subsidy-fre e servic e t o th e mainlan dan dno t

t o rene w Cap e Air' s EA S contract . W e ar e currentl y evaluatin g th e merit s o f th e community' s appeal . A s i s norma l practice , w e ar e placin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthis respons e i n th e Docket , whic h i s availabl e for publi c viewin g a

t www.re&ulations.go v b y enterin g DOT-OST-1999-659 2 i n th e searc h field . I f I can provid e further

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours ,

iusa n L . Kurlan d 'Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sSIO- I I03()S-0I( )

LARR Y SEILHAMI R 

### RopirfcuE z SENADO R - Dislrlt D d e R>nc e PortavQ Z Altem o d e l a Mayarr

a D E PUERT O RIC O

February 25 , 201 1 Hon . Ra y L aHoo d Secretary ofTransportatio n U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave . S.E . Washington . D C 2059 0 Dea r Mr . Secretary : I recentl y became awar e o f th e fac t tha t the Essential Ai r

Servic e Progra m(EAS ) subsidy , grante dt o the Mercedit aAirport

locate di n th e cit

y o f Ponce , Puert o Rico , wil l b e eliminate da s par t o f th e budge t cut s fo r th e fiscal yea r

2012 . A s yo u know , th e EA S Progra mwa s introduce dt o guarante e that

small , mostly rura l communitie s that were serve db

y ai r carrier s ma

y continu e t

o maintai n aminimal leve l o f ai r service . Th

e Mercedit aAirport

receive di

n th e curren t

year , th e amount

o f $740,416 , an dserve dapopulatio n o f approximatel y on e millio n resident s an dvisitor s fromth e Southeaster n regio n o f

Puert o Ric o wit

h approximatel y 200.00 0 passengers . Although Cap e Air i s currentl y subsidize db y the U.S . Departmen t

ofTransportatio n a s acommute r airline , whic

h i s a"spoke " t o th e "hub " Lui s Muno z Mari n Airport

i n Sa n Juan , th e fac t

i s tha t neithe r Cap e Ai r no r Je t Blu e airline s hav e awritte n contrac t wit h the Mercedit aAirport

Administratio n o r

th e Port s Authorit

y o f Puert o Rico . Therefore , ther e i s n o guarante e tha i the y wil l b e willin g t

o continu e th e curren t

fligh t schedule . A s th e electe dSenato r

fo r th e Distric t

o f Ponce , Presiden t

o f Urba n an dInfrastructur e Committee , an dAlternat e whi

p o f th e majorit

y delegatio n o f

the Senate o f

Puert o Rico , an di

n behal f o f n ^ constituents , th e reassigntnen t o f th e subsid

y find s unde r

the F^i S Progra mfo r

th e fiscal yea r

201 2 wil l b e deeply appreciated . Needles s t

o say , th e eliminatio n o f

th e subsid

y wil l resul t

i n ablo w t

o ou r economi c growt

han d development , particularl y i n th e Souther

n Region o f

ou r island . Fo r th e abov e reasons , w

e support th e reauthorizatio n bil l approve dby th e U.S . Senate whic h wil l maintai n curren t

leve l o f fundin g fo r

th e EA S Progra mfo r

th e nex t tw o (2 ) years . Sincerely yours . fawranc e N . ^Iha t Senato r fo r th e Dj^ic t

o f Ponc e

E l Capitoli o | P O Bo x9023431 1 Sa n Juan , P.R . 00902-343 1 T: . 787.977.3048/977.304 9 F : 787.977.305 0 E : lsellhamef«senadopru s