# ~UNIVERSITY 

# OF WYOMING
Athletic Department Dept. 3414 • 1000 E. University Ave. • Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-2292 • fax: (307) 766-5414 • www.wyomingathletics.com June 

### 18, 2012

Michael Martin- Transportation Industry Analyst Office ofAviation Analysis US Department ofTransportation 

### 400 Seventh Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 

### 20590 RE: USDOT Essential Air Service Bids for Laramie, Wyoming

Dear Mr. Martin: [' ,_1 

### c.:**L~** 

### Q

Please accept this as a letter ofsupport for consideration ofSkyWest Airlines as the air carrier for the Essential Air Service (EAS) to Laramie, Wyoming. It is extremely importantto citizens of Laramie (and surrounding communities), to the University of Wyoming and the Laramie business communitythatthe air carrier providing service, be dependable, reliable, be customer service oriented, have sufficient seating capacity and provide a highly competitive airfare (especially for customers connecting to flights in and out of Denver International Airport). The number of potential boardings (per WYDOT Aeronautics leakage studies) lost to the Laramie Regional Airport has been substantial. Feedback appears to pointto poor customer service, cancelled flights, late departures, high airfares and insufficient seating capability as key reasons why many individuals choose to drive to Denverto catch theirflights. Being late for connections, having flights cancelled, spending additional monies on hotel rooms/meals (due to flight cancellations), and finding it to be more cost effective to pay mileage reimbursements compared to airfares

...are issues that business owners/managers (even college students) are notwilling to consistently deal with. From the perspective ofthe CFO forthe UW Athletic Department, all ofthe above mentioned issues have contributed to decisions on both business and personal travel. Our organization travels for avariety of reasons including business meetings, recruiting of potential student athletes and transportation ofour sports teams for purpose ofcompetition. The sports teams 

### (16-25 avg. travel party) thatwe transport have found it impossible to fly out of Laramie to connect to flights in Denver

...due to the limited seating capacity 

### (19 seats) provided by the current Laramie air carrier and the fear thatthe team flights might be cancelled. The potential of having 30 seat planes from SkyWest

...and/orthe possibility ofadding an occasional extra flight for ourteams could open up some exciting travel options for our sport programs.A recent analysis ofoursport programs number of trips/travel party sizes

...revealed the potential for an additionall,OOO to 1,200 additional boardings forthe Laramie Regional Airport each year. Related to this travel limitation, is the factthat we annually spend approximately $229,540 on charter buses to transport orsportteams to and from Denver International Airport. These monies could be going to the local air carrier

...ifthere were asufficient number ofseats available to fly ourteams to and from Laramie. So, from a community member and business professional from Laramie, havingthe chance to consider a new carrier (who is producing satisfied customers in otherWyoming communities) is an exciting opportunity. Thank you in advance foryour consideration of these comments.

Department of Intercollegiate Athletics University ofWyoming