# Tenakee Springs Business Association PO Box 581 Tenakee Springs, AK 99841 www.tenakeespringsak.com

Mr. Todd Homan Director, Office ofAviation Analysis US Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Homan; October 10, 2014 ':·,·}

···,,,'
r:**-~**

Tenakee Springs is a small community located on Chichagof Island in Southeast Alaska. There are no roads to the commynity orin the community. The only means oftransport to and from Tenakee's regional hub ofJuneau is via boat or seaplane. Essential airservice between Juneau and Tenakee is critical to the community's survival.
It has come to our attention that Order2014-.9.,13 considers the termination ofsubsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) between Tenakee Springs, Alaska and Juneau, Alaska based on the premise that Harris Air provides non-EAS qirservice from Sitka to Tenakee.Springs. Currently, Harris.-Airprovides no.scheduled flights to Tenakee

### Spri~gs. One reason for this is Sitka is not the service hub or regional pointforTenakee Springs. The proposed abandonment of service to Juneau in favor of less frequent and reduced capacity service to Sitka would be economicallydevastating to our businesses and the members of our community.
The residents and visitors to Tenakee utilize Alaska Seaplane Service dailyfor transport to and from Juneau where they have established medical and dental professionals, purchase goods and supplies, as well as make connections to the largerair carriers of Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines. Supplies from distributors in Juneau are flown to Tenakee dailyfor local businesses and residents as well as the US Mail.
The purpose ofthe EAS program is to ensure thqt communities have airservice access where there would not otherwise be access. The only scheduled flight service to Tenakee Springs is via Alaska Seaplane Service. Under EAS, the minimum servicethat must be provided to Tenakee is seven round trip flights perweek during peakseason, and three round trip flights perweek in the off-peakseason. The Harris Airproposedfuture flight pattern, betweenTenakee and Sitka is three roundtrips perweek.' This is a reduction of 57% overthe minimum peakservice level and does not meetthe needs ofthe community. · According to the USDOT website, the governing statutes require DOT to considerfour factors when selecting an EAS carrier: (1) Service reliability; (2) Contractual and marketing arrangementswith a largercarrier atthe hub;

### (3) Interline arrangementswith a largercarrier atthe hub; and (4) Communityviews.
Alaska Seaplane SeNice has proven seNice reliability as they have had a presence in Tenakee for 17 years and are currentlyTenakee's sole scheduled flight seNice 

### provider. They have contractual and marketing arrangements with largercarriers atTenakee's regional hub of Juneau and the community overwhelmingly supports continued scheduled seNice 

### from Tenakee to Juneau. The Tenakee Springs Business Association (TSBA) is a community based organization and collaboration of business owners, land owners, artists, musicians, fishermen, school board members, and religious organizations. The TSBA is comprised of 15 businesses holding general membership and four associate members. The TSBA understands the critical need for this essential airseNice to our community, and hopes that DOTwill realize the magnitude ofthis decision. Air seNice is a basic necessity and essential for our business and communitysuNival. We support continuing EAS from Tenakee Springs to Juneau via Alaska Seaplanes.

# ~~~**~uck** Harry, President 

## \j Tenakee Springs Business Association