us . Departmen t o f '-- l (j.' C RAT ! O f •'"• ' 120 0 Ne w jerse yAvenue , S E Transportatio n " ' Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

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Octobe r 24 , 201 1 Phili p Stee d Airport Manage r Jonesbor o Municipa l Airport 390 1 Lindberg h Driv e Jonesboro, AR7240 1 Dea r Mr . Steed : I woul dlik e t o updat e yo u o n th e essentia l ai r servic e situatio n at

Jonesbor o an dgiv e yo u an opportunity t o submi t

an y comment s i

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

SeaPort' s curren t contrac t o n Octobe r

31 , 2011 , th e Departmen t issue dOrde r

2011-4-15 o n Apri l 15 , 2011 , requestin g proposal s fo r

ane w contrac t

period . Becaus e th e proposal s di dnot addres s th e hig h per-passenge r

subsid y a

t Ho t Springs ' an dJonesboro , th e Departmen t issue d2011-6-2 5 o n Jun e 27 , 2011 , re-solicitin g proposal s fro mal l intereste daii ' caniers . I n respons e t o tha t Order , SeaPort Airlines , hic , th e incumben t (SeaPoit ) an dMulti-Aero , Inc . dA)/ aAi r Choic e On e (Ai r Choic e One ) submitte dproposals . Copie s o f eac h proposa l may b e accesse donlin e at http://www.regulations.go v b y enterin g DOT-OST-1997-293 5 i n th e "Ente r Keywor do r

ID " section . Ai r Choic e On e proposes thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o Lambert-St . Loui s Internationa l Airport , usin g nine-passenge r Cessn aGran dCarava n fo r a n annual subsid y o f

$1,717,781 . SeaPor t initiall y propose dservic e fo r Jonesboro, with 1 2 weekl y nonsto p roun dtrip s t o St . Loui s an d6 weekl y nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Memphis , for an annua l subsid y o f

$1,509,850 , but withdre w it s proposa l o n Octobe r 19 . Sinc e Orde r

2011-6-25 wa s issued . Publi c Law 112-27 , signe dint o law o n Augus t 5 , 2011 , amende dth e definitio n o f "eligibl e place " for

th e purpos e o f

receivin g EAS . Se e 4 9 U.S.C . § 41731 . Th e amendmen t

state s tha t

t o b e eligible , acommunity mus t b e locate dnot

les s tha n 9 0 mile s fro mth e neares t

mediu mo r

larg e hu b airpor

t an dmus t hav e ha da

n averag e subsid y pe r passenger o f les s than $1,00 0 durin g th e mos t recen t fiscal year , a s determine db y th e Secretary of Transportation . Sectio n 41731 . a s amended , als o grant s th e Secretary th e authority t o issu e a Th e caiiie r

seieclioi i r;!S c ;i

i M m,Spiiny:

- i : hehi u ;:..ldM-M.e5. i :.e(ia!;i.i':-l

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waive r of th e 90-mil e criterio n i

f th e Secretary determine s that th e "geographi c characteristic s o f th e locatio n resul t

i n undu e difficult

y i n accessin g th e neares t mediu mo r

larg e hu b airport. " 4 9 U.S.C . § 41731(d) . Th e Departmen t i s currentl y workin g o n aNotic e o f Propose dRulemakin g regardin g th e ne w provision s unde r 4 9 U.S.C . § 41731 , a s amended , whic h i t plan s t o issu e i n th e nea r future . Jonesboro' s eligibility may b e affecte db y thi s amendment . Base do n existin g law an dth e propose drulemakin g discusse dabove , th e Departmen t i s prepare d t o selec t Ai r Choic e One , th e onl y carrie r proposin g service , t o serv e Jonesbor o for aone-year term . An y servic e tha t

coul dpossibl y b e subsidize dafte r on e year wil l b e determine donc e th e rulemakin g proces s ha s bee n completed . Pleas e not e that

th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n i n th e proposa l d o not necessaril y reflec t

th e averag e local fare Jonesbor o passenger s woul dactuall y pay , but , rather , reflec t aprorate dportio n of th e tota l ticke t

price , e.g. , th e Jonesbor o - St . Loui s portio n of aJonesbor o - St . Loui s - Washington , D.C . ticke t

that th e subsidize dcarrie r

woul drealize . Also , th e fare show n i s ne t of certai n charge s suc h a s Federa l transportatio n security fees , excis e o r ticke t taxes , an dPassenge r Facility Charges . O f

course , carrier s hav e th e discretio n t o charg e fare s the y dee mappropriate , an dth e passenge r

fare s presente di n thi s proposa l hav e bee n develope dfor subsid y rat e computatio n purpose s only . Yo u shoul dals o not e tha t th e schedule s tha t

th e carrie r

ha s submitte dar e illustrativ e only , an d that the y may 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 at th e hub . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r

carrier s t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space dflight s i n orde r t o ensur e ful l compensation . W e as k tha t yo u submi t

an y comment s yo u may hav e a s soo n a s possible , but i n an y cas e n o late r than Novembe r

16 , 2011 . W e wil l carefull y conside r you r comment s befor e w e submi t a recommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary for

adecision . Shoul dyo u hav e an y question s o r nee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t you r comments , pleas e le t

u s know . Pleas e sen dyou r

comment s viae-mai l t o EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f yo u hav e any questions , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t Kevi n Schlemme r

of m y staf f a t kevin.schlemmer@dot.go v o r 202-366-3176 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sen t

t o th e Mayo r

of Jonesboro . Sincerely ,

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

Servic e