US.Depatlllil&nt of · 

Transportation 

OffiCe of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Jeffrey A. Merkley 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Merkley: 

JUL2 7 2012 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington; DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by Redmond Municipal Airport for 

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

Development Program. 

The Small Community Air Service Development 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 communities 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 Program 
JEFF MERKLEY 

OREGON 

COMMITIEES: 

ENVIRONMENT AND . 

·PUBLIC WORKS 

<llnitfd ~tatcs ~cnatc HEALTH, EDUCATION, 

LABQR, AND PENSIONS 

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 BANKING, HOUSING, 

AND URBAN AFFAIRS 

June 28, 2012 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director, Small Community Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE W86-310 

Washington, DC 20590 

Subject: Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant Application 

Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 

City of Redmond, OR - Redmond Municipal Airport 

Dear Associate Director Ley: 

I am writing to express my support for.t~e C,:ity of Redmond's application for the Small 

Community Air Service Development. Program under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act 

of2012 from the United States Department of Transportation. The Redmond Municipal Airport 

(RDM) is applying for the grant to reinstate air service to Southern California. 

BUDGET 

Since 1940, RDM has. been servicing passengers in the Central Oregon area. Today, RDM is the 

fourth largest commercial airport in Oregon, serving all of Central Oregon and providing fortysix daily flights. From 2006 to 2010, Horizon Air offered a direct ~ight. from RDM to Los 

Angeles International Airport (LAX). The previous service was· extremely successful, offering a 

daily flight to LAX, with approximately 20,000 passenger enplanements annually, and up to 80% 

·passenger load factors. Thi.s grant ~ould help reinstate direct service between RDM and LAX. 

The proposed Southern California service will benefit multiple remote Central Oregon 

communities and have far reachin~ benefits, as RDf\:1 provides extensive corporate and business 

travel. With these grant funds, significant improvenl~nt~ for the traveling public will be 

implemented. Given the City of Redmond's outstanding record of success with federal grants to 

improve air service, I encourage the Department of Transportation to consider and support this 

worthwhile project. 

·-

Thank you for your full and fair review ofthe City of Redmond's grant application. Should you 

have any further questions, please contact Susanna Julber in my Bend office at 541-318-1298. : . ~ 

313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 

(202)224.,-3753 

FAX(202)228-3997 

Sincere!~ A-.·~ 

Jeffrey A. Merkley 

United States Senator 

121 S.W. SALMON STREET 

SUITE 1400 

PORTLAND, OR 97204 

(503) 326-3386 

FAX(503)326-2900