### u.s.Departmentof Transportation Office oftheSecretary ofTransportation

The Honorable E. Benjamin Nelson United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear SenatorNelson: 

## JUL 52012 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the City ofSioux City, Iowa for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation'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 orinsufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 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 ofprojects 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 ofany particular proposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have beenproperly filed.
As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

Aloha Ley Associate Director, Small Community

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### Aloha Ley Associate Director Small Community Program Office ofAviation Analysis 1200New Jersey Avenue. SE W86-310**Washin~on,** 

## DC 20590-0001
To Whom ItMay Concern: May 30,2012

I am writing regarding the application submitted by the City ofSioux City, Iowa, for funding through the United States Department ofTransportation'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 ofSioux City, 

### Iowa; South Sioux City, 

### Nebraska; North Sioux City, South Dakota, Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, and the surrounding communities collectively referred to as Siouxland. The City ofSiouxCity 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 ofthe application submitted by the City ofSioux City, 

### Jowa. Sincerely,

# ~~--~·:~~~:~~~~~~l:lllioo_n __ ...,. United States Senator EBN:hcb