# · Cityof / 

# Dodge 

# City

P.O. Box 880 Dodge City, KS 67801-0880 Phone: 620/225-8100 FAX: 620/225-8144 ITY: 620/225-8115

www.dodgecity.org
Mr. Kevin Schlemmer, Chief EAS and Domestic Analysis Division, X-53 U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

Dear Kevin: January 13, 2014

·.**'-~**

Re: EAS Proposals Dodge City, Kansas '' ; t;

Docket DOT-OST 1998-3502 f ""-, !' j ,)



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Please accept this letter as the community response and recommendation for the provision ofEssential Air Service for the city ofDodge City, Kansas. As you are aware, Dodge City was one ofthe initial participants in the EAS Program and 

### has long recognized the importance ofthe program in fulfilling the air service needs ofsmall, geographically isolated cities and the critical need ofsuch communities for access to the nation's airtransportation system.

After a careful review ofthe proposed service as presented byboth Great Lakes and SeaPort Airlines, the City Commissionhas unanimously endorsed the staffsrecommendation of continuation ofthe Essential Air Service as provided by the Great Lakes Airlines proposal. A primary factor in our endorsement ofthe Denver service, as proposed by Great Lakes, is that such service allows for the continuation ofthe "regional" air service concept initiated through the jointefforts ofDodge City and Garden City during the last contract term. Since the introduction ofDallas service at Garden City and Denver service at Dodge City and Liberal, passenger hoardings at all three communities have more than doubled. This increase in overall air traffic provides substantial evidence of, not onlythe need for federally supported air transportation throughout the southwest region ofthe State ofKansas, but also the regional need for access to diversified air services hubs. Eventhough the service proposed by SeaPort is less costly, it is our beliefthat continuation ofthe current regional program best serves the airtransportation needs of the geographically isolated, but growing communities ofSouthwest Kansas, and as such embraces the underlying principles and intent ofthe Essential Air Service program. Although the City ofDodge City strongly recommends the continuation ofthe current regional service presently in effect, we would be remiss in ourresponsibility to our traveling public ifwe neglected to address a serious concern regarding a substantial increase inthe number ofcancellations ofGreat Lakes flights atboth Dodge City and Liberal. 

### In our conversations with Great Lakes officials it appears that the recent increase in such cancellations is the result ofthe lack ofavailability ofproperly certified pilots under recently enacted FAA regulations. We have been assured by Great Lakes officials that steps are being taken to remedy, or at least mitigate, this troublesome issue andthat improvement should appear inthe next few months. We wouldstrongly recommend that the EAS office and DOT do what canbe done to assist infinding a remedy to this situation which impacts all regional carriers and threatens the continued success ofthe entire EAS program.
Thankyou for this opportunity to review and provide our comments and recommendations as well as·your continuing efforts to preserve and embrace the Essential Air Service program whichprovides rural America with access to the nation's air transportation network.

Cc: Senator Pat Roberts Senator Jerry Moran Representative Tim Huelskamp Kevin Adams Ken Strobel. City Attorney City ofDodge City, Kansas