# ~ CORPUS CHRISTl CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

## Prosperity.Together. 

# I June 5, 2012 \
TheHonorable RayLaH

# I od Secretary, U.S. Departme t ofTransportation 400

### ih St SW Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood: The Corpus Christi Cham er ofCommerce would like to extend support for the Corpus Christi International Airport's ( RP) application request for the Small

.Community Air Service Development Grant from he U.$. Department of-Transportat-ion. The Corpus Christi Chamber ofCommerce believes this grantwill-have a significant impact onourregion and state. There are three major airl nes providing service in.and out of CRP: American, Southwest and**.l)nit~d.** Over. the past sev ral years, t.l).e·carriers have reduced capacity which has caused prices to rise. As a result, trave ers use San Antonio as their origin or destination airport to take advantage oflower fares d direct service. Ifconsumers continue to use other communities as their destination airport, it ffects the quality, quantity and price ofair service. The Chamber understands hat ifthe CRP is awarded the grant, the money would be used for marketing the airport and c uld potentially be used to entice a low cost carrierto provide service out of Corpus Christi.**Pric~** is import;m.t to cusJomers and we depend on the air services CRP
.. provides. The grant will

### he~p our· region take advantage oflow-cost service and an increase of enplanements here at home.l Because we are considered a destination community, these changes will support**~nd** shape the**~conomy** ofo?r City, and even out region, for**decade~: Li~e.** the US DOT, we beheve the**foc~s** 

## qftransportatiOn dollars must be on the people and commumt1es who use the transportation systenk i Once again, the Corpus Chr,sti Chamber ofCommerce strongly supports the CRP grant request. We urge the DOT to suppoq the Corpus Christi International ,Airp"rts grant request and help us realize ourfull transportatio1 potential.

Foster Edwards, President & CEO I !

1501 North Chaparral Street Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 361.881.1800 ph 361.8824256 fax www.corpuschnstichamber.org

### CORPUS CHRISTI HISPANIC CHAMBER 

### OF COMMERCE

June 5, 2012 The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary, U.S. Department ofTransportation 400 7th St SW Washington, DC 20590 Dear Honorable Ray LaHood: The Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce is pleased to express our support ofthe Corpus Christi International Airport (CPR) as a recipient ofthe Small Community Air Service Development Grant. Currently, CRP has three major carriers who provide service, and is taking steps toward increased capacity and better serve our community. The grant funds would be used to market the airport, reduce the leakage to San Antonio that1<eeps our · enplanement numbers down and could potentially be used to entice a low cost carrierto provide service out ofCRP. •

-**~ ~** **~** The AirpOrt's three major carriers have all reduced capacity over the past few years which have caused prices to increase. Although we are fortunate to have these airlines serving CRP, we need to take steps to encourage stakeholders to supporttheir hometown airport. We need to betterarticulate the tie-in between quality ofair service, its impact on tourism, business development and the impact on the local economy. We believe that an increase in enplanements is the first step in getting the airlines to increase capacity at CRP. lowerfares would bring more passengers which in turn would lead to lowerfares and better service

...A$ an airport, we.would be better positioned to affect.the latter.
The Corpus**Ch~isti** International Airport has been actively engaged memberwith the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chambe·r ofCommerce in working to grow our Coastal Bend community's economy and serves as a vital catalyst fofeconomic opportunity. We support all the Airport's initiatives to help grow our local economy**;:~nd** are excited by the resurgence in excitement for our local Airport

.

..

# . We look forward to lfi!Orking with the other partners in the CBMAS Consortium to develop the plan for the future growth and development ofour region. Sincerely,

# ~·~ Rosie Collin, President/CEO

P.O. Box 5523, Corpus Christi, Texas 78465 W'ebsire: WUJU•.cchirpamahamber.org Phone: 361.837.7,!08 Fax: .361.888.94 '3June 6, 2012
The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation 400 71 h St SW

. Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Secretary: As the gatewayfor air service to the Coastal Bend of Texas, Corpus Christi International Airport is an invaluable an" integral part oftbe South Texas Infrastructure providing the opportunity for business and leisure air travel to and**fro~** the:area. · . As a super-regional mall, La Palmera is also an integral part ofthe Coastal Bend, providing ahighlY**valued:r9tai~**shopping experience. Having-Invested ·$50 million in the· renovation of La Palmera, we are also invested in ourfuture here in the Coastal Bend. Although agood numberofour customers are residents within the 120-mile radius we serve, we, like many other local businesses also depend on those traveling in and out of our community, particularly those here on vacation. Tourism remains a majordriverof the local economy and the airport Is an Integral par1 ofthat. Aithough we currently have three major carriers providing service to Corpus Christi, some.travelers in the.fringe areas have begun to utilize ather airports such as San Antonio lntemationai.

..As a result, the number oftravelers:iri aAd out ofCRP is down, which means, among other things, that prices have gone up. In an effort to remain viable, CRP is pursuing a Small CommunityAir Service Development Grant, which would be utilized by CRP to market the airport and potentially entice a low cost carrier to the airport. As a member ofthe local business community, we fully support the CRP grant request and recognize its importance to the continued success of CRP·and the Coastal Bend region of Texas as awhole. Sincerely, ) ; 

# l)

# ~}; //'·:·1 ' '
..

# fj**(-~M'/F- y~7** 

# t..**{~?Jf"·** 

## - Fred Walters General Manager, La Palmera

# (DKiewit

June 6, 2012

TheHonorable Ray LaHood Secretary, U.S. Department ofTranspmiation 400

## t 11 St SW Washington, DC 20590 DearMr. LaHood, Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd. ("KOS") offers this letter as an expression of supp011 for an application by the Corpus Christi International Airport ("CRP") for a Small Community Air**Servic~** Development Grant that they. arepursuing from the federal QOT.
. > If awarded to CRP, the money would be used to appropriately market the airpo11 in order to reduce the leakage to San Antonio that keeps our enplanement numbers down and could**poten~ally** be used to enfice a low cost carrierto provide service'(Hit ofCRP. The full potential ofthe Corpus Christi area with respect to tourism, business development and the overall economy is not being realized due, in part, to the failure of our airpm1 to provide quality, reasonably-priced air services. Clearly, an increase in enplanements is the first step in gettingthe airlines to increase capacity at CRP and get us movingin therightdirection. Thank you in advance for your consideration ofthis application and**ple~se** knowthatjob growth ofthisregion is dependent upon-support'such as this.

. . Sincerely,

# ~/~~ 

# ,/- / Roy DeBolt Contracts Manager
.

KIEWIT OFFSHORE SERVICES, l TO. 2440 Kiewit Road, Ingleside, TX 78362 (351) 775-4300 (361) 775-4431 -fax