u.s. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable E. Benjamin Nelson 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Nelson: 

JUL 5 2012 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the City of Sioux City, Iowa for a 

grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service 

Development Program. 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air service 

deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, 

the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 

awards may be to commrinities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude 

in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the 

types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT -OST -2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director, Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
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Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE W86-310 

Washin~on, DC 20590-0001 

To Whom It May Concern: 

May 30,2012 

I am writing regarding the application submitted by the City of Sioux City, Iowa, for funding 

through the United States Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service 

Development Program. 

In April2012, American Airlines became the subsidized Essential Air Service carrier for the 

Sioux Gateway Airport by initiating service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The Sioux 

Gateway Airport provides service to the communities of Sioux City, Iowa; South Sioux City, 

Nebraska; North Sioux City, South Dakota, Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, and the surrounding 

communities collectively referred to as Sioux land. 

The City of Sioux City believes support from funding through the Small Conununity Air Service 

Development Program will be an important mechanism for the air service, helping to ensure a 

successful transition to American Airlines and service to Chicago O'Hare. · 

I understand the difficulty work necessary in selecting Small Community Air Serv.ice 

Development Program recipients and appreciate your full and fair consideration of the 

application submitted by the City of Sioux City, Jowa. 

Sincerely, 

~~--~·:~~~:~~~~~~l:lllioo_n __ ...,. 

United States Senator 

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