PRINC E WILLIA M SOUN D 

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# SlO- l 10119-00 7

CONTRO L NO .

Januar y14 , 201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra

yLaHood , Secretar

y U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerseyAvenue , S.E . Washington , D.C . 2059 0 

## ' G 'rt* - T-4 - Re : Continuatio n o f Alaska Airlines ' Essentia l Ai rServic e a t Cordova . Gustavus . Petersburg . Wraneell . an£rr~^(~: >

T7~ . . . . _. ' . '— ' — ^ —/- I Yakutat . Alaska . Docke t OST-1998-489 9 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : e n I a m writin g i n stron g suppor t fo rth e continuatio n o f th e Essentia l Ai rServic e agreemen t wit h Alaska Airline s t o provid e dail yservic e t o Southcentra l an d Southeas t communities . Ther e ar e multipl e reason s fo rrenewa l o f thi s EA S agreement , particularl yi n thi s economi cclimate . I t i s critica l t o ou rloca l econom yt o hav e dail yje t servic e i n bot h directions , nort h an d south , i hav e live d i n Cordova sinc e 197 6 an d hav e see n man ysmalle rcommute rairline s com e an d g o whil e Alaska Airlines ' regula ran d reliabl e servic e has bee n a mainsta yfo rth e community . Th e freigh t servic e i s essentia l fo rbot h deliveryo f fres h good s int o Cordova an d als o fo rshippin g o f fres h fis h product s ou t o f ou rcity . Alaska Airlines ' investmen t i n require d navigatio n performanc e (RNP) fligh t technolog yallow s acces s t o ou rairpor t an d other s i n S E Alask a durin g th e man yday s o f inclemen t weathe rwhic h w e experience . Th e smalle rcommute rflight s ar e ofte n unabl e t o lan d o n thos e day s whic h ca n sometime s las t fo ra wee k o rmore . Th e Princ e Willia m Soun d Scienc e Cente rrelie s o n Alask a Airlines fo r7 5 percen t o f ou rtrave l requirements . Ou r staf f o f 18-2 0 regularl yus e it s service s t o ge t t o professiona l meeting s and/o rt o brin g colleague s t o Cordov a fo r scientifi cfiel d wor k

and/o rmeeting s here . Additiona l reason s renewa l o f thi s EA S agreemen t i s importan t include : (a) th e importanc e o f maintainin g je t servic e i n orde rt o attrac t a growin g touris t marke t t o Cordova ; (b ) th e greate rcapacit yoffere d byje t servic e fo r passengers , freigh t an d mail ; (c ) th e single-plan e linkag e t o thei rprincipa l communitie s o f interest—Anchorage , Juneau , Ketchika n an d Seattl e a s th e cas e maybe ; an d (d ) th e reliabilit yan d lon g histor yo f Alaska Airlines ' servic e t o Cordova , Yakuta t an d th e othe rcommunitie s i n Southeas t Alaska . W e appreciat e th e commitmen t Alask a Airlines demonstrate d severa l year s ag o b yinvestin g i n th e firs t eve rflee t o f 737-40 0 combinatio n aircraft . Thes e mor e moder n 737 s replace d th e olde r737-20 0 comb i aircraf t i n Alaska' s flee t an d provid e improve d access , capacity , safet yan d comfor t fo rairlin e passenger s i n Southeas t Alaska . Than k yo u fo rthi s opportunit yt o comment . I loo k forwar d t o learnin g o f you rdecision . Sincerely , Nanc yBird Presiden t cc : Susa n Kurland , Assistan t Secretar yfo rAviatio n an d Internationa l Affair s Denni s DeVany , Chief , EA S an d Domesti c Analysi s Th e Honorabl e Sea n Parnell , Governor , Stat e o f Alaska Mar cA . Luiken , Commissioner , Alaska Stat e Departmen t o f Transportatio n an d Publi cFacilitie s P.O . Box70 5 - Cordova , Alask a 9957 4 - (907 ) 424-580 0 x22 5 - fax(907 ) 424-582 0 nbird@>pwssc.or

g - www.pwssc.or g