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

y o f Transportatio n 

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' ; 1 1 20 0 Ne w jerse yAvenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 

# '- ' z ou Marc h 21 , 201 2 Mr . Jef f Hancoc k City Manager 30 2 W . 5t h St . McCook , N E 69001-105 9 Dea r Mr . Hancock : 1 woul dlik e t o update yo u o n th e Essentia l Ai r Servic e situatio n a

t McCoo k an dgiv e yo u a

n opportunit y t o submi t

an y comment s i

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

Grea t Lakes ' curren t contrac t o n May 31 , 2012 , th e Departmen t issue dOrde r

2012-1-28 , o n Januar y 27 , 2012 , t o solici t proposal s fro mai l intereste dai r carrier s t o provid e servic e a t McCook . I

n respons e t o tha t Order , w e receive donl y on e proposal , whic h wa s submitte db y th e incumben t airline . Grea t Lake s Aviation , Ltd . W e hav e directe dth e ai r

carrie r t o serv e it s proposa l o n you : i n addition , copie s of th e proposa l ma y b e accesse donlin e throug h th e Department' s Docket s Managemen t Syste mat : http://\vww.regulations.gov 7 b y enterin g "DOT-OST-1997-3005 " i n th e "'Ente r Keywor do r

ID " field , s o w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e th e on e proposa l here . Great Lakes ' proposa l woul dcontinu e t o offe r 1 2 nonsto p roun dtrip s per week fro mMcCoo k

t o Denve r Internationa l Airport

utilizin g a19-sea

t Beec h 190 0 aircraft , fo r a n annua l subsid y of $1,976,338 . Whil e w e woul dnormall y as k fo r you r comment s a s t o th e variou s air carrie r options , w e nonetheles s wan t

t o giv e yo u a

n opportunit y t o submi t any formal comment s fo r th e recor d before w e submi t

arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary fo

r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affairs . Pleas e not e that

th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n in ih e proposa l d o no t necessaril y reflec t

th e averag e local far

e McCoo k

woul dactuall y pay , but

rather , reflec t

aprorate dportio n of

th e total ticke t price , e.g. , th e McCoo k - Sa n Francisc o portio n of

aMcCoo k

- Denver

- Sa

n Francisc o ticke t tha t th e subsidize dai r

carrie r woul drealize . Also , th e far e show n i s net

o f certai n charge s suc h a s Federal transportatio n security fees , excis e o r ticke t taxes , an dPassenge r

Facility Charges . O f

course , air

carrier s hav e th e discretio n ( o ciiarg e fare s the y dee mappropriate , an dth e passenge r fare s presente di n th e 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 that th e schedule s that

th e ai r carrie r ha s submitte dare illustrativ e only , an d that Great Lake s ma y mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban k

time s a t th e hu b aiiport . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r

carrier s t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space dflights i n orde r t o ensur e full compensation . W e reques t

that yo u submi t

an y comment s yo u may hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t i n an y cas e n o late r tha n Apri l 20 , 2012 . W e wil l carefull y conside r you r comment s before w e submi t a recommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary for

adecision . I

f yo u hav e any question s o r i f yo u fin dthat yo u nee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t you r comments , pleas e le t

me know . Pleas e sen dyou r

comment s t o m e a

t th e followin g emai l address : EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7838 . I

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t Scott Faul k of my staf f at scott.faulk@dot.go v o r

202-366-9967 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sen t

t o th e Mayo r

o f McCoo k an dth e Airport

Advisory Commission . Sincerely ,

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

Servic e Division , X-5 3 Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s