### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, DC 20590



### The Honorable Blake Farenthold U.S. House 

### ofRepresentatives Washington. DC 20515 Dear Congressman Farenthold: September 19,2014 ··,**-')~** (\**~ ~**  ":_**'~1** - .•



### Thank you 

### for your letter supporting the application subrniuccl by 

### the county ofVictoria, Texas, for a grant under the 

### U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make n maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than four may be to communities in the same State. To provide communities with latitude in 

### developing solutions to 

### their air 

### service deficiencies. the statute provides flexibility in the types ofair service development projects that 

### can be funded. On June 30, the Department issued an order sening a deadline ofJuly 31 for applications. As these grant requests are pending before the Departrnent, l cannot comment on the merits ofany particular proposal. [assure you, however, that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. As is our standard practice, 1

### am placing a copy ofyour letler and this response in Docket DOT-OST-20 14-0113 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sin

# ·ef,

# ~ Anthony R. FoxxBl.Al<E FAaENTHOLD 27'Hl 016ffitCT, 'I'EWAS

The Honorable**Anthony~-** Foxx Secretary ofTt;msportation U.S. DepartmentofTr;msportation 

### 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Wasllington, DC 

### 20590-0001 DearSecretaryFoxx: July 25, 2014 !:OMMrrTBi!k TAANSl>OfllATION .AND INFRASTRUCTURE

JUDICIARY

I am writing to express my support in the application submitted by the County of Victoria, Texas for the Department'sSmallCommunity Air Service DevelopmentProgram (SCASD) grant. As a fiscal conservative, I have general concerns regarding the SCASD program overall. However, l believe that the Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) is an excellent candidate to receive SCASD funding which will ertable them to undertake an aggressive advertising campaignin order to recapture an air service market that has been severely damaged inrecentyears. The Victoria Regional Airport serves a significant portion of south central Texas between Houston and Corpus Christi. Itis particularlyimportantto major oil and manufacturingindustries located in the region. It is my understanding that air service to the Victoria community was very robust until the bankruptcy of Pinnacle Ail'lines in 2012 which involuntarily forced a change of air service providers after a 3-month blackoutofall airservice. Since then, the number of passengers using the airport has diminished substantially to a point where the County has opted 

### to participate in the Alternate Essential Air Service program to leverage funding for improvingits air service. Itis hoped thatthis Altemate EAS pl'Ogram will provide many importantincentives

,for improving the quality ofair service to the region.

Should 

### itbe awarded, the County would use this grant to help fund a sustained advertising campaign in order to l1eighten awareness of the improved air service available the airport and especially to recover the patronage "lost" over the pastfew years. The ultimate goal of this marketing campaign would be to reduce oreliminate the County'scurrentneed for Essential Air Service Programsubsidies. Thank you for your consideration of this application. If my office can provide you wil:h any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Blake Adami (202) 225-7742 or email at Blake.Adami@mail.house.gov. Sincerely,

# ?!f~eJ:;;;;fk?( Member ofCongress**~** •**"~. ~i-%**  '