# Q

US b Dsportnwn t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f tti e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

## :"ARTMEM T O F \z l UrbHAiiL.

N 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E Washington , D C 2059 0 

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## Th e Honorable Ki

mWar d Pennsylvani aSenator Harrisburg,PA 17120-303 9 Dea r Ms
. Ward : SE P 2 1 201 1

Than k yo u fo r you r lette r supporting the proposa

l submittedby th e WestmorelandCount y Airpor t Authorit y fo r agran t unde r the Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Smal l Communit

y Program)
. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishedt

o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dt o high airfare s an

dinsufficien

t service
. Unde r the statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e the funds t

o mak e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e t o communitie s in the sam

e State
. I n orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitude in developing solution s t o their ai r servic e deficiencies , the statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used
. O n Jul y 1 , the Departmen

t issueda n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I carmo t commen t on the merit s of an y particula r proposal
. I assur

e you , however , tha

t the Departmen

t will give fiil l consideratio n t o all proposal s tha t have bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacing acop

y of you r lette r andthi s respons e in Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontact outsid e the recor dof thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . I f

I ca n provid e furthe r information o r

assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to call me . Sincerel y yours .

• ^ 

## AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Commimit

y Progra m39 TM SENATORIA L DISTRIC T

KI M WAR D SENAT E BO X 20303 9 T H E STAT E CAPITO L HARRISBURG , P A 17120-303 9 ( 7 17 ) 787-606 3 FAX:(717)772-058 0
76 6 E
. PITTSBURG H STREE T

SUIT E 10 1 GREENSBURG , P A 1560 1 (724 ) 600-700 2 FAX : (724)600-700 8
TOL L FREE : (877 ) 787-003 9 COMMITTEE S — T AGIN G a YOUT H CHAI R | BANKIN G & INSURANCE , VIC E CHAI R CONSUME R PROTECTIO N a PROFESSIONA L

LICENSUR E PUBLI C HEALT H a WELFAR E VETERAN S AFFAIR S a EMERGENC Y

PREPAREDNES S SENAT E MAJORIT Y POLIC Y COMMITTE E 

## Senat e o f ^ennsiplbani a EMAIL : kward@pasen.go v WEBSITE : www.senatorward.co m
Jul y 26 , 201 1 Aloh a Le y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit y Ai rServic e Developmen t Program , X-5 5 U.S
. Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 New

/ Jerse y Avenue , S

E Washington , D.C
. 2059 0 Dea rMs
. Ley : I a m Writin g t o len d m y suppor t t o th e Westmorelan d Count y Airpor t Authority' s reques t fo rfundin g throug h th e U.S
. Departmen t o f Transportation' s Smal l Communit y Ai rServic e Developmen t progra m t o expan d th e schedule d ai rservic e tha t ha s show n phenomena l promis e a t Arnol d Palme rRegiona l Airport
. Th e authorit y ha s see n dramati c succes s wit h th e launc h o f Spiri t Airline s servic e t o Fort Lauderdale , Florid a an d Myrtl e Beach , Sout h Carolina , movin g mor e tha n 30,00 0 passengers throug h Arnol d Palme r Regiona l i n les s tha n fiv e months
. Loa d factor s hav e prove n unprecedente d a t th e airport , averagin g i n th e hig h 80 % an d mi d 90 % ranges . Th e airlin e i s no w considerin g additiona l destination s t o augmen t thi s thrivin g operation , an d ask s onl y fo rassistanc e i n marketin g th e ne w routes
. Thes e effort s ar e heavil y dependen t upo n marketin g effort s tha t th e airlin e has prove n successful
. Gran t fundin g throug h th e SCAS D progra m i s critica l t o supportin g thes e effort s t o expan d servic e an d bolsterin g a priceles s economi c asse t t o th e communitie s th e airpor t serves . You rfavorabl e revie w o f thi s applicatio n woul d b e greatl y appreciated
. Shoul d yo u wis h t o discus s thi s further , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t me . Sincerely , 

# c^d^^Jdu ^ SENATO R KI M WAR D KLW/lj s