Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program

Dubuque Regional Airport 

Dubuque, Iowa 

Legal sponsor: City of Dubuque, Iowa 

Dubuque Regional Airport Commission 

DUNS: 093105302 

Congressional District Code: IA-001 

Contact: Todd Dalsing 

Acting Airport Manager 

11000 Airport Drive 

Dubuque, IA 52003-9555 

(563) 589-4128 

tdalsing@cityofdubuque.org 

Docket #: DOT-OST-2010-0124


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

Prepared by 

Summary Information ........................... 1

Proposal Highlights ................................ 2

Higher than Average Airfares ................................ 3

Community Cost Contribution .............................. 3

Public-Private Partnership...................................... 3

Material Benefits .................................................. 3

Use of Funds in a Timely Fashion .......................... 3

Air Service Environment ........................ 4

Catchment Area ................................................... 5

Business Community ............................................ 5

Educational Institutions ........................................ 6

Tourism ................................................................ 6

Air Service – Existing/Historical ............. 7

Existing Air Service ............................................... 8

Historical Air Service ............................................. 8

Past Air Service Development Efforts ................... 10

Air Service Needs and Deficiencies ..... 11

Major Origin/Destination Markets Not Served 

Adequately......................................................... 12

High Airfares ...................................................... 13

Strategic Plan – Air Service .................. 14

Project Goals ...................................................... 15

Proposed Air Service ........................................... 15

Airline Participation ............................................ 15

Detailed Market Analysis .................................... 16

Alternate Plan .................................................... 16

Previous Grant Recipient - New Project and 

Goals ................................................................. 16

Strategic Plan – Implementation 

and Funding..................................... 18

Public-Private Partnership.................................... 19

Incentive and Support Plan ................................. 19

Strategic Plan Funding ........................................ 21

Project Continuation and Sustainability ............... 21

Schedule and Monitoring .................... 22

Critical Milestones .............................................. 23

Monitoring Program ........................................... 24

Appendix A Letters of Support ........... 25

Appendix B Detailed Market 

Analysis ............................................ 84
SECTION 1

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program
SECTION 1

SUMMARY INFORMATION

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 2 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

A. Applicant Information: 

(Check all that apply) 

X 

Not a 

Consortium 

Interstate 

Consortium 

Intrastate 

Consortium 

 Community now receives EAS subsidy 

X 

Community (or Consortium member) previously 

received a Small Community Grant 

 

If previous recipient, date of grant: October 2003 

Expiration date of grant: July 2005 

B. Public/Private Partnerships: 

(List organization names) 

Public Private

1. City of Dubuque/ 

Dubuque Regional 

Airport 

1. Dubuque Area Chamber 

of Commerce 

2. Dubuque County 

Board of Supervisors 

C. Project Proposal: 

(Check all that apply) 

X Marketing Regional Service 

 Personnel Launch New Carrier 

 Travel Bank First Service 

Surface Transportation Secure Additional 

Carrier 

X Revenue Guarantee X New Route 

X Start Up Cost Offset Low Fare Service 

 Study Subsidy 

 Upgrade Aircraft Other (specify): 

__________ 

 Increase Frequency 

Service Restoration 

D. Existing Landing Aids at Local Airport: 

X Full ILS X Published Instrument Approach 

X Localizer Outer/Middle Marker 

 Other (specify): 

E. Project Cost: 

1. Federal amount requested: $500,000

2. State cash financial contribution: $0

3. Local cash financial contribution...

3a. Airport cash funds: $0

3b. Non-airport cash funds: $325,000

3c. Total local cash funds (3a.+3b.) $325,000

4. TOTAL CASH FUNDING (1.+2.+3c.) $825,000

5. Local funds contributed from 

already-existing programs or 

projects included in line 3c. 

amount: $0 

6. Local funds contributed from new

commitments or new resources 

included in line 3c. amount: $325,000 

7. Airport In-Kind contribution: 

(amount & description)* $0 

8. Other In-Kind contribution:

(marketing) $30,000 

9. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION 

(7.+8.): $30,000 

10. TOTAL PROJECT COST (4.+9.): $855,000

F. Enplanements: 

2000 58,326 2005 40,922

2001 56,353 2006 46,794

2002 51,590 2007 46,199

2003 38,599 2008 42,925

2004 39,002 2009 39,662

G. Is this application subject to review by State 

under Executive Order 12372 process? 

a. This application was made available to the State

under the Executive Order 12372. Process for 

review on (date) _____________. 

b. Program is subject to E.O. 12372, but has not 

been selected by the State for review. 

c. Program is not covered by E.O. 12372. 

H. Is the Applicant delinquent on any Federal 

debt? (if “yes”, provide explanation) 

No 

Yes (explain

X

X
SECTION 2

PROPOSAL HIGHLIGHTS

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 3 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

his Small Community Air Service Development 

Program grant application for the Dubuque 

Regional Airport meets the criteria of Docket 

DOT-OST-2010-0124. The City of Dubuque/Dubuque 

Regional Airport is requesting $500,000 in federal 

assistance to implement an $855,000 air service 

initiative. The project is to increase connections to 

westbound destinations that are currently severely 

limited. This is a top priority. The Strategic Plan, 

American Airlines Dallas/Ft. Worth service, will achieve 

the project goals. 

HIGHER THAN AVERAGE AIRFARES

The Dubuque Regional Airport catchment area is 

underserved and overpriced. The community is served 

by only one carrier, American Airlines, to one hub,

Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Westbound 

connectivity is a top priority to the Dubuque community 

with six of the top 10 destinations located to the west. 

Only 28 percent of greater Dubuque air travelers use 

the local airport, with 72 percent of travelers making 

the costly drive to an alternate surrounding airport. 

Dubuque Regional Airport’s airfares are higher than

average as shown in Tables 5.2 and 5.3 on page 13. 

Often times, higher than average fares and the lack of 

available seats at the local airport create the need for 

travelers to use an alternate airport. 

COMMUNITY COST CONTRIBUTION

To support this air service initiative, the Airport and 

community will fund 42 percent of the proposed 

$855,000 Strategic Plan. Non-airport revenue sources 

will fund 39 percent ($325,000) of the $825,000 cash 

requirement. This is a strong commitment by the local 

community to improve westbound service. 

 

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

The City of Dubuque/Dubuque Regional Airport has 

partnered with the Dubuque Area Chamber of 

Commerce and the Dubuque County Board of 

Supervisors for purposes of air service development. 

This is not a new partnership. This public-private

partnership has worked successfully together for many 

years partnering on new air service initiatives and the 

FlyDBQ program. The Airport and the community are 

committed to the successful development of air service 

at Dubuque Regional Airport. 

MATERIAL BENEFITS

A population of approximately 400,000 resides within a 

60-minute drive of Dubuque Regional Airport touching 

10 counties in three states. A significant number of 

large businesses are in the greater Dubuque area, 

including John Deere, IBM, Prudential, and McGraw-Hill 

Companies, Inc. to name few. Dubuque is home to 

eight colleges and universities with almost 17,000 

students. The air service improvement proposed in this 

grant application will benefit a broad segment of the 

traveling public, including business, education 

institutions and other enterprises. 

USE OF FUNDS IN A TIMELY FASHION

The public-private partnership has a solid schedule and 

strategic plan to ensure timely use of the funds. This 

Strategic Plan has been discussed with the airlines in 

anticipation of this grant application, and the routes are 

under consideration. 

T

This section addresses: 

• Project goals 

• Description of the Strategic Plan 

• Highlights of the grant application 
SECTION 3

AIR SERVICE ENVIRONMENT

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 5 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

EXHIBIT 3.1 AIRPORT CATCHMENT AREA 

reater Dubuque is a vibrant and economically 

growing region located in northeast Iowa on 

the banks of the Mississippi River bordering 

southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois. This 

section shows the broad segment of the traveling 

public, including businesses, educational institutions 

and other enterprises that will benefit from the 

proposed Strategic Plan. 

CATCHMENT AREA

Dubuque Regional Airport has an expansive catchment

area covering over 100 zip codes and a population of 

over 280,000 (identified in blue in Exhibit 3.1). The 

more expansive 60-minute drive area (identified in 

green in Exhibit 3.1) touches 10 counties in three 

states and contains roughly 400,000 people. Dubuque 

County’s population has grown almost five percent 

since 2000, and continued strong growth is projected. 

The Dubuque Regional Airport is located near multiple 

competing airports. Since surrounding airports are 

significant drive distances the large population wants to 

use the local airport. However, only 28 percent of

catchment area passengers use Dubuque Regional 

Airport due to limited air service options. The remaining 

72 percent use the following airports: Madison, Moline, 

Chicago O’Hare, Cedar Rapids and Milwaukee. Drive 

distances to alternate airports range from 70 to 190 

miles making air service at Dubuque extremely valuable. 

BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Agriculture and industrial manufacturing has 

underpinned the regional economy for decades, but 

within the last decade or so, industries such as 

technology, goods distribution, higher education and 

tourism have grown to create a well diversified market. 

Dubuque has been one of Iowa’s fastest growing cities 

financially, bringing in seven new corporations and over 

1,800 new jobs with businesses such as IBM and 

Hormel Foods. Dubuque has been recognized with 

G

This section addresses: 

Description of the greater Dubuque community in 

relation to air service to demonstrate the benefit of 

the Strategic Plan to a broad segment of the 

traveling public. 
SECTION 3

AIR SERVICE ENVIRONMENT

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 6 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

several awards and honors within the last few years. In 

January 2010, MSN reported that Dubuque’s job 

growth ranked third in the nation. 

The greater Dubuque region has a significant number

of large businesses in the area, including: A.Y. 

McDonald Manufacturing, John Deere, McGraw-Hill 

Companies, Inc., Prudential Financial, Flexsteel 

Industries, Inc. and Eagle Windows and Doors 

(Andersen) to name a few. 

The greater Dubuque region continues to grow with 

businesses expanding in the area. Some examples 

include: 

• Hormel Foods built an $89 million state-ofthe-art food processing facility in Dubuque’s 

Industrial Center West. 

• In January 2009 IBM announced its new 

Global Services Technology Delivery Center 

creating 1,300 jobs. 

• Sedgwick CMS added 150 jobs in August 

2010. 

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The greater Dubuque region is a seat of higher learning; 

being home to eight colleges and universities with 

almost 17,000 students (Table 3.1). The students and 

faculty in the greater Dubuque area will benefit 

significantly from this air service initiative. 

TABLE 3.1 UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN THE TRISTATE REGION 

INSTITUTION ENROLLMENT 

University of Wisconsin - Platteville 7,189 

Northwest Iowa Community College 4,756 

Loras College 1,589 

University of Dubuque 1,584 

Clarke College 1,156 

Emmaus Bible College 230 

Wartburg Theological Seminary 194 

Divine Word Seminary 55 

Total 16,753 

Source: Iowa College Student Aid Commission, 2008; National 

Center for Education Statistics 

TOURISM

The Tri-State Tourism Council actively promotes tourism 

in northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsin and 

northeast Iowa. The Council meets once a month to 

utilize their resources and network. Dubuque Regional 

Airport has partnered with the Tri-State Tourism 

Council. 

Dubuque County had over 1.9 million visitors in 2009. 

Tourism generates over $250 million annually and 

employs 2,600 people in Dubuque County. Visitors 

have been documented from all 50 states and 53 

foreign countries. 

DUBUQUE ACCOLADES:

• Top Deal of 2009 (IBM’s selection of 

Dubuque for its new technology 

center), Site Selection Magazine

• 2010 #1 Best Smaller Metro for 

Projected Job Growth, Forbes

• 2009 Top Ten Most Affordable Places 

to Live and Work, Sperling’s Best 

Places

• 2009 Excellence in Economic 

Development, US Commerce Secretary 

Gary Locke

• Best Business Retention and Expansion 

Program 2009, Business Retention & 

Expansion International

• 2008 Top Ten Metro, Site Selection 

Magazine 

• 2008 100 Best Communities for 

Young People, America’s Promise 

Alliance
SECTION 4

AIR SERVICE – EXISTING/HISTORICAL

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program

 
SECTION 4

AIR SERVICE – EXISTING/HISTORICAL

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 8 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

his section provides an overview of existing air 

service. Carriers providing service, service 

frequency, nonstop destinations offered, fares, 

and equipment types are included in the discussion. A 

summary of historical air service is also included with 

destinations, traffic levels, service providers, and an 

overview of extenuating factors that have affected air 

service. A description of air service development efforts 

concludes the section. 

EXISTING AIR SERVICE

Dubuque Regional Airport’s existing air service is limited 

to nonstop Chicago O’Hare International Airport service 

approximately three times per day with 50-seat regional 

jet aircraft provided by American Airlines (Table 4.1). 

TABLE 4.1 EXISTING AIR SERVICE 

NONSTOP 

DESTINATION

MARKETING 

CARRIER AIRCRAFT

WEEKLY 

DEPARTURES WEEKLY 

SEATS 

Chicago, IL 

(ORD) 

American 

Airlines 

ERJ-145 

(50-seat 

jet) 

20 1,000 

Total 20 1,000 

Source: apgDat, August 2010 

Currently, the American Airlines’ service is operated by 

American Eagle. However, beginning in November 

2010 Chautauqua Airlines will begin operating the 

flights with 44-seat regional jet aircraft. While 

frequency is expected to remain the same, this will

result in a decrease in available seats of approximately 

12 percent. For a market already underserved, this will 

further limit Dubuque Regional Airport’s ability to serve 

the local community. 

Dubuque Regional Airport’s average airfare in 2009 

exceeded the Central region average by 19 percent and 

the US average by 15 percent (Table 4.2). A more 

detailed fare analysis is provided in the next section 

demonstrating Dubuque’s higher than average fares. 

TABLE 4.2 AVERAGE ONE-WAY FARE PAID 

 

AVERAGE FARE DBQ % 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 HIGHER

Dubuque $167 $170 $166 $184 $166 

Central Region $140 $148 $147 $156 $140 19%

U.S. $137 $149 $149 $160 $144 15%

Source: Data Base Products, Inc. 

HISTORICAL AIR SERVICE

Dubuque Regional Airport has suffered from a 

substantial decline in air service over the last 10 years. 

This subsection summarizes Dubuque Regional Airport’s 

air service history including: destinations, traffic levels, 

and service providers. Extenuating factors that have 

affected air service over time are also reviewed. 

Destinations, Service Providers and Traffic 

Levels 

Over the last 10 years Dubuque Regional Airport’s air 

service declined significantly. In only five of the last 10 

years has the greater Dubuque region enjoyed 

competitive air service with more than one air carrier in 

the market serving multiple hubs. Since 2001, 

departures have declined 71 percent overall and 

available seats have declined 62 percent. The highest 

level of air service was provided in 2001 when United 

Airlines and Northwest Airlines also served Dubuque. 

United has not served the market since 2001. 

However, Northwest has periodically provided service to 

their Minneapolis hub ceasing service in 2003 then 

reinstituting service in 2008 and 2009. Dubuque lost 

this service during the changes instituted from the

Delta/Northwest merger. 

T

This section addresses: 

• Description of existing air service 

• Synopsis of historical air service 

• Description of air service development efforts 
SECTION 4

AIR SERVICE – EXISTING/HISTORICAL

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 9 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

American has provided consistent air service to/from 

their Chicago O’Hare International Airport hub 

although frequency of service has fluctuated. Service 

frequency has ranged from an average of three 

roundtrips per day to four roundtrips per day. Exhibit 

4.1 provides a summary of annual departures and 

enplanements from 2000 through 2009. Table 4.3

provides average departures and seats by destination 

and airline. 

EXHIBIT 4.1 DEPARTURES AND ENPLANEMENTS 

Source: apgDat; airport records 

As shown in Exhibit 4.1, the reduction in departures, 

lack of competitive service and high local fares resulted 

in enplanements declining. In 2000, Dubuque Regional 

Airport experienced record enplanements of 58,326 

when three carriers operated in the market: American, 

Northwest, and United. The 10-year low for 

enplanements occurred in 2003 after Northwest and 

United left the market with some rebound in 

enplanements through 2006. However, in 2007, 

enplanements began to decline again almost reaching

2003 levels in 2009. 

Extenuating Factors that have Affected Air 

Service 

Air service at Dubuque Regional Airport has been 

largely defined by its geographic location. Located on 

the Mississippi River, it is on the eastern edge of Iowa, 

western edge of Illinois and southwest corner of 

Wisconsin separated only by the river and is flanked by 

multiple airports. Dubuque Regional Airport is located: 

• 73 miles from Moline’s Quad City 

International Airport 

• 77 miles from Cedar Rapids’ The Eastern Iowa 

Airport 

• 98 miles from Waterloo Regional Airport 

• 103 miles from Chicago/Rockford 

International Airport 

• 111 miles from Madison’s Dane County 

Regional Airport 

• 142 miles from La Crosse Municipal Airport 

• 171 miles to Rochester International Airport 

• 172 miles from Chicago O’Hare International 

Airport 

• 190 miles to Chicago Midway Airport 

0

12,000

24,000

36,000

48,000

60,000

72,000

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

2000200120022003200420052006200720082009

Enplanements

Departures

Calendar year

Departures Enplanements

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Dept 25 21 21 23 27 27 27 26 20 20

Seats 1,189 992 967 1,091 1,312 1,323 1,303 1,203 976 940

Dept 26

Seats 564

Dept 32 20 17 13 14

Seats 1,088 677 571 432 476

84 40 37 23 27 27 27 39 34 20

2,841 1,669 1,538 1,091 1,312 1,323 1,303 1,635 1,452 940

Source: apgDat; note - * Includes one-stop service over ALO

Chicago, IL (ORD)

American

United

Average weekly departures

TABLE 4.3 HISTORICAL HUB DESTINATIONS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

AVERAGE SCHEDULED WEEKLY DEPARTURES/SEATS

HUB AIRLINE ITEM

Average weekly seats

Minneapolis, MN* Delta/Northwest
SECTION 4

AIR SERVICE – EXISTING/HISTORICAL

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 10 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

Another extenuating factor is the well documented 

congestion problems at Chicago O’Hare International

Airport, the logical eastbound hub, which has affected 

Dubuque’s service from time to time. Distances and

appropriately sized aircraft have also complicated 

westbound service to the nearest hubs, Dallas, Denver, 

Minneapolis and Milwaukee. 

PAST AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS 

The Dubuque Regional Airport and community partners

have been very proactive over the last five years to 

achieve additional air service. One example of their 

success was initiation of Northwest Airlink service in 

June 2008. This was a community effort with several 

community business leaders participating in the 

negotiations with Northwest in Minneapolis. Businesses 

represented in the process included: Flexsteel Industries, 

Prudential Financial, McGraw-Hill Publishing, John 

Deere, Eagle Window & Door/Andersen Windows and 

the City of Dubuque. 

 

Within the last year, Dubuque Regional Airport and 

area partners have continued their successful FlyDBQ 

rewards program. It is a no cost “frequent flyer” 

rewards program that rewards passengers with offers

from local businesses for choosing Dubuque Regional

Airport. The purpose was to increase awareness of the 

Dubuque Regional Airport, get local businesses involved 

with local air service, increase enplanements and load 

factors and gain additional air service. The program has 

over 2,065 members, up nine percent since 2009. 

In addition, Dubuque Regional Airport has been very

active in 2009/2010 with industry airline conferences 

such as ACI-NA’s JumpStart 2010, airline meetings at 

corporate headquarters, and keeping market analysis

and route forecasts current and relevant. 

SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO AIR SERVICE: 

• City of Dubuque - Marketing funds of 

$100,000 for Northwest’s 

Minneapolis service. Also set aside 

$150,000 for air service recruitment. 

• Dubuque County Board of Supervisors 

- $125,000 for additional air service 

initiatives. 

• Dubuque Area Chamber of 

Commerce - $50,000 in revenue 

guarantees for additional air service 

initiatives. 

• Dubuque Regional Airport – Worked 

with American Eagle on a discounted 

fuel rate through Dubuque Jet Center. 

Also purchased $980,000 of airline 

ground support equipment including: 

passenger jet bridge with GPU, mobile 

GPU, bag carts, belt loader, tractor 

(tug), ATV (Honda Mule), lavatory cart 

and deicing truck. 
SECTION 5

AIR SERVICE NEEDS AND DEFICIENCIES

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
SECTION 5

AIR SERVICE NEEDS AND DEFICIENCIES

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 12 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

he Air Service Needs and Deficiencies section 

identifies the major origin/destination markets 

that are not served adequately and fare levels. 

This section demonstrates that Dubuque Regional 

Airport is underserved and overpriced. 

MAJOR ORIGIN/DESTINATION MARKETS NOT 

SERVED ADEQUATELY

The greater Dubuque region’s primary need and 

deficiency is improved air service to western 

destinations. Currently the catchment area market is 

required to back haul to Chicago O’Hare International 

Airport to connect to western destinations. These 

routings are costly and time consuming. The result is 

that many Dubuque westbound catchment area 

passengers elect to drive to surrounding airports having 

better westbound service. Only 28 percent of 

catchment area travelers use the local airport with 72 

percent diverting to surrounding airports. Surrounding 

airports have continued stepping up marketing efforts, 

dedicating both personnel and dollars to target 

Dubuque’s underserved air service needs. 

Deterioration in Westbound Service 

 The Dubuque Regional Airport catchment area has 

benefitted from Delta Air Lines/Northwest Airlines’

service to Minneapolis in the past, but this service was 

discontinued in mid-2009 as a result of Delta’s fleet and 

Minneapolis hub restructuring. This resulted in 

westbound catchment area air travelers who wished to 

use the local airport being required to utilize back haul 

connections via Chicago O’Hare. Since Dubuque 

Regional Airport’s Chicago O’Hare schedules are 

intended to optimize schedules to eastern and 

southeastern points, westbound connections frequently 

involve longer connect times. In addition, a lot of 

westbound connections include two-stops from 

Dubuque, particularly on the return. 

Faced with this less convenient service, the majority of 

westbound travelers divert to Madison, Moline, Chicago 

O’Hare, Cedar Rapids, and Milwaukee. Based on a 

June 2010 Passenger Demand Analysis, Table 5.1

demonstrates the differences in local airport retention 

in the top 10 westbound markets. Over 50,000 annual 

passengers in the top 10 westbound markets alone feel 

the need to drive to an alternate airport for air travel. 

T

This section addresses: 

Description of Dubuque’s air service needs and 

deficiencies. 

MSN MLI ORD CID MKE OTHER

2 Denver, CO 11 11,511 16 797 2,192 2,342 2,143 1,595 1,146

3 Las Vegas, NV 17 11,345 16 1,154 841 396 4,308 561 2,205

4 Phoenix, AZ (PHX) 40 10,320 14 1,866 1,458 991 700 787 437

8 Dallas, TX (DFW) 29 7,561 10 2,137 822 603 1,425 164 219

9 Salt Lake City, UT 7 6,523 9 1,909 159 1,114 796 1,750 318

10 Los Angeles, CA 43 6,032 8 825 698 889 95 762 190

12 Seattle, WA 44 5,433 7 891 127 1,210 255 233 340

15 San Diego, CA 36 4,972 7 1,768 464 331 110 420 66

20 San Francisco, CA 46 3,155 4 1,061 272 163 0 190 27

26 Houston, TX 50 2,863 4 61 244 1,056 20 20 20

28 69,716 96 12,470 7,278 9,095 9,851 6,483 4,969

28 262,161 359 44,589 42,030 40,660 25,759 17,432 14,871

PDEW

DIVERSION

Top 10 westbound markets

Total all markets

TABLE 5.1 DIVERSION OF TOP WESTBOUND MARKETS

RANK

WESTBOUND 

DESTINATION

RETENTION 

%

TRUE 

MARKET
SECTION 5

AIR SERVICE NEEDS AND DEFICIENCIES

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 13 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

Improved Westbound Service Needed 

Clearly, the Dubuque Regional Airport catchment area’s 

major air service needs are improved westbound service 

to better serve the market and improve airport 

economics. Six of the top 10 destinations for Dubuque 

Regional Airport are western destinations (refer to

Table 5.1, previous page). The most desirable 

improvement is nonstop service to Dallas, Denver, or 

Minneapolis. Milwaukee service would also increase

westbound connecting opportunities. All of these hubs 

will improve westbound connections and meet the 

goals of this grant application. Since American Airlines 

already serves Dubuque, service to Dallas is the most 

likely possibility. However, Delta could consider 

returning to the market now that restructuring of the 

Minneapolis hub has been completed if financial 

incentives minimize risk. 

HIGH AIRFARES

High airfares are a contributing factor for Dubuque

Regional Airport catchment area diversion of air 

travelers in major westbound markets. Along with seat 

availability issues, airfares compound the leakage 

problem. Dubuque Regional Airport has higher than 

average airfares. These cost differentials cause business 

travelers to utilize surrounding airports with drives of up 

to three and one-half hours (Chicago). 

According to an Iowa Air Service Study completed in

February 2008 a Dubuque air traveler is willing to drive 

135 additional minutes to an alternate airport to save 

$119 on a roundtrip fare. Surveyed travelers indicated 

that airline fares were one of their top two factors 

when determining which airport to depart from. 

Table 5.2 provides a comparison of Dubuque’s airfares 

with the state of Iowa’s and the US average fares for 

the top 10 westbound markets from Dubuque. While 

Dubuque’s airfares are higher than the state of Iowa 

average in six of the top 10 westbound markets, 

airfares are significantly higher than the US average in 

nine of the top 10 markets. 

TABLE 5.2 AIRFARE COMPARISON (ONE-WAY) 

TOP WESTBOUND 

MARKETS 

AVERAGE FARE 

DUBUQUE 

STATE 

OF IA 

U.S. 

AVG 

Denver, CO $179 $191 $130 

Las Vegas, NV $142 $114 $124 

Phoenix, AZ (PHX) $151 $141 $133 

Dallas, TX (DFW) $180 $191 $165 

Salt Lake City, UT $207 $201 $140 

Los Angeles, CA $201 $155 $160 

Seattle, WA $182 $162 $146 

San Diego, CA $175 $192 $138 

San Francisco, CA $214 $171 $159 

Houston, TX $139 $167 $167 

All markets $166 $173 $144 

Source: Data Base Products, Inc.; CY 2009 

A comparison of published fares completed by the state 

of Iowa on a monthly basis further illustrates the fare 

disparity issues at Dubuque. Table 5.3 shows 

Dubuque’s published airfares in August 2010 at six top 

westbound destinations. Dubuque’s fares are higher in 

most categories than comparable airports. 

 

TABLE 5.3 PUBLISHED AIRFARE COMPARISON

WESTERN 

DESTINATION

Cedar Rapids

Chicago

Dubuque

Moline

Denver

Leisure 387 235 347 223

Business 689 361 524 633

Walk Up 851 419 598 789

Leisure 359 268 351 364

Business 462 496 497 431

Walk Up 776 645 521 483

Leisure 481 301 490 366

Business 663 509 568 495

Walk Up 1,111 617 594 744

Leisure 381 313 353 396

Business 467 557 481 405

Walk Up 1,014 679 630 741

Leisure 464 281 361 356

Business 762 493 511 538

Walk Up 1,064 684 576 759

Leisure 391 302 368 344

Business 761 529 645 536

Walk Up 991 751 793 781

Source: Iowa DOT - Office of Aviation; 

August 1, 2010

Denver

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

Phoenix

San Francisco

Seattle
SECTION 6

STRATEGIC PLAN – AIR SERVICE

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 

 
SECTION 6

STRATEGIC PLAN – AIR SERVICE

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 15 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

he Strategic Plan proposed by the City of 

Dubuque will achieve the community’s goals and 

help to alleviate the air service needs and 

deficiencies of this community. This Strategic Plan 

section provides a detailed description of the goals of 

the project and a primary and alternate plan for 

attaining those goals. As a previous grant recipient, this 

application is a new project with different goals than 

the previous project. 

PROJECT GOALS

The greater Dubuque region’s primary need and 

deficiency is improved air service to western 

destinations. The proposed Strategic Plan will meet the 

project goal: improve connections to westbound 

destinations to address the significant shortage of

capacity. 

PROPOSED AIR SERVICE

American Airlines currently provides Dubuque with 

three daily nonstop flights to Chicago O’Hare 

International Airport creating hub connecting 

opportunities for the community. Limited capacity to 

one hub and high average fares create extreme 

diversion of catchment area travelers and support the 

need for this air service initiative. Additional frequency 

on American Airlines to Dallas-Ft. Worth or ChicagoO’Hare, Frontier Airlines to Denver or Milwaukee or

Delta Air Lines to Minneapolis would 

significantly improve Dubuque air 

service (Exhibit 6.1). This plan will 

achieve the project goals by: 

• Offering more hub service options 

creating additional single-connect 

opportunities for the community 

• Offering additional capacity that 

will open more seats at discounted 

levels reducing average airfares 

• Reducing the need for air travelers 

to drive to Madison, Moline, 

Chicago or Cedar Rapids for 

affordable and competitive airfares 

and to find available flights 

AIRLINE PARTICIPATION

In recent months, representatives of the Dubuque 

Regional Airport or their consultants have held 

discussions with American and Frontier regarding 

additional frequency and nonstop service to new 

destinations. Discussions with both carriers have been 

positive. Members of the Dubuque community have a

meeting scheduled with American in Dallas at the end 

of August to continue discussions regarding additional 

capacity opportunities. Based on preliminary 

discussions with American and other airlines, the 

community support package proposed in the Strategic

Plan is critical in airline decisions to increase or initiate 

service in the Dubuque market. Any of the carrier 

options outlined would meet the goals of this Small

Community Air Service Development Program grant 

application. 

T

This section addresses: 

• A Strategic Plan for meeting Dubuque’s air 

service needs and deficiencies 

• Alternate plan to meet the goals 

• Previous grant recipient with new project and 

goals 

ORD

MKE

MSP

DEN

DBQ

EXHIBIT 6.1 PROPOSED AIR SERVICE OPTIONS

DFW
SECTION 6

STRATEGIC PLAN – AIR SERVICE

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 16 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

DETAILED MARKET ANALYSIS

A financial analysis and forecast has been developed for 

American service to Dallas/Ft. Worth to exemplify 

Dubuque’s ability to support additional air service with 

improved westbound connections. Results of the 

analysis are summarized below. The detailed analysis is 

included as Appendix B, Detailed Market Analysis. 

Projections were completed for a single roundtrip 

schedule on a 50-seat Embraer 145 Regional Jet for 

American Airlines to Dallas. Table 6.1 provides a 

summary of the completed pro forma analysis. 

Passenger projections were based on a mature market

(i.e., passenger projections would be at 100 percent on 

the first day of service). It is estimated that one daily 

roundtrip will generate at least $5.3 million in 

additional system revenue for the carrier. The estimated 

system profit margin suggests that after the initial 

service ramp-up that the service would be selfsustaining and profitable for the airline. 

TABLE 6.1 DUBUQUE-DALLAS/FT. WORTH MARKET 

ANALYSIS EXAMPLE 

ITEM STATISTICAL CATEGORY 

1 Available seats per departure 50

2 Segments per day 2

3 Onboard passengers 27,578

4 Load factor 76%

5 Average fare all markets $210 

6 System revenue $5.3 million

Although it is estimated that American service will be 

profitable, they will not generate this amount of 

revenue or margin at start-up. Airlines typically incur 

losses in new markets during the ramp-up period. The 

length of the ramp-up period is highly dependent on

marketing efforts and the community reaction to the

new service. Based on previous discussions with the 

airlines, it is estimated that a revenue guarantee in the 

range of $760,000 will be required to begin service. 

For success, the new service will also require a strong 

marketing program. 

ALTERNATE PLAN

In recent discussions with the Airport and consultants 

representing Dubuque Regional Airport, American has

confirmed that the performance of the current 

Chicago-O’Hare service has improved and additional 

capacity may be warranted. Additional service on 

American to a western hub continues to be the priority, 

but if Dubuque Regional Airport fails to obtain Dallas/Ft. 

Worth service, alternate carriers will be approached for 

westbound service or to increase overall capacity to 

alternate hubs that would create additional westbound 

opportunities. Alternate hub service that would fulfill 

the goals of this grant application include: Denver, 

Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Consistent with the intent 

of the proposed air service initiative, obtaining 

additional flight frequency to a major hub airport with 

numerous westbound connecting opportunities and 

competitive airfares is the best option for Dubuque

Regional Airport catchment area passengers. 

PREVIOUS GRANT RECIPIENT - NEW PROJECT 

AND GOALS

In 2003, the US Department of Transportation awarded 

the City of Dubuque a Small Community Air Service 

Development Program grant. The 2003 grant included

the following project goals: 

• Maintain current service to the tri-state region with 

American Eagle. 
SECTION 6

STRATEGIC PLAN – AIR SERVICE

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 17 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

• Expand service through additional frequencies 

and/or hub access. 

The US Department of Transportation’s portion of the 

project budget, $610,000, included partial funding of a 

strategic marketing initiative, ground support 

equipment, purchase of jet fuel and a fund to help 

defray the start-up costs on initiating service for a new 

carrier. 

The prior application’s goals were broad in nature and 

designed to promote awareness of Dubuque Regional 

Airport, increase passenger usage of air service to

Chicago-O’Hare and increase carrier attractiveness of 

the airport with airport purchased ground service 

equipment. 

The goal of this application is specific and designed to 

address the priorities of the regional community: 

• Improve connections to westbound destinations 

• Increase overall capacity 

• Recapture diverting traffic 

• Reduce the need to drive to multiple surrounding 

airports including Madison, Moline, ChicagoO’Hare and Cedar Rapids just to access the 

national air system due to the lack of local options 

As demonstrated, this application qualifies as a new 

project and meets the requirements of the Small 

Community Air Service Development Program.
SECTION 7

STRATEGIC PLAN – IMPLEMENTATION

AND FUNDING

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
SECTION 7

STRATEGIC PLAN – IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 19 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

his section, Strategic Plan - Implementation and 

Funding, provides the detailed incentive and 

support plan required to implement the Strategic 

Plan. A legal sponsor responsible for administering the 

program has been designated, and a public-private 

partnership has been formed to actively participate in 

implementing the proposed project. In addition, this 

section identifies self-sufficiency of the service as an 

integral part of the community’s goals and provides a 

description of the community’s plan to continue with 

the project if it is not self-sustaining after the grant 

award expires. A detailed description of the funding 

necessary for implementation of the Strategic Plan,

including federal and non-federal contributions, is

included. 

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Dubuque Regional Airport is a department of the City 

of Dubuque and has been designated as the sponsor of 

this grant application. For the purpose of this 

application, the City of Dubuque/Dubuque Regional 

Airport, the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, and 

Dubuque County Board of Supervisors have formed a 

public-private partnership (refer to community support 

letters in Appendix A). Collectively, the partnership is 

committed to completing the Strategic Plan outlined

herein. 

All partners in the public-private partnership will be fully 

involved in the execution of the Strategic Plan (Table 

7.1). 

TABLE 7.1 PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNER ROLES 

PUBLIC-PRIVATE 

PARTNER ROLE 

City of Dubuque/Dubuque 

Regional Airport 

Grant and revenue guarantee 

administration; coordination 

of the marketing campaign 

Dubuque Area Chamber of 

Commerce 

Assisting with air service 

issues and negotiations; 

assistance with the marketing 

program 

Dubuque County Board of 

Supervisors 

Assistance with the 

marketing campaign 

The City of Dubuque/Dubuque Regional Airport will 

execute all federal grant offers, process all associated 

reimbursement requests, oversee grant administration, 

and administer the revenue guarantee. The City of 

Dubuque/Dubuque Regional Airport will also coordinate 

the marketing campaign. The Dubuque Area Chamber 

of Commerce and the Dubuque County Board of 

Supervisors will assist with the marketing campaign. 

Together these partners are a formidable team with a 

track record of success who are committed to 

improving air service at Dubuque Regional Airport. 

INCENTIVE AND SUPPORT PLAN

While the airline industry is beginning to see at least a 

short term return to profitability, they are focused on 

keeping costs low and constraining growth. In this

environment, carriers are highly risk averse and expect 

communities to partner with them to share risk and 

frequently require communities to fund losses 

associated with startup costs for new services. To be 

effective, support packages must be structured to 

address the issues of additional air service in the

community and ensure that the market responds 

quickly. 

T

This section addresses: 

• Description of the public-private partnership 

• Designation of a legal sponsor 

• Funding necessary for implementation of the 

Strategic Plan 

• Sustainability of the project 
SECTION 7

STRATEGIC PLAN – IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 20 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

The public-private partnership proposes a community

support package that has been tested and proved to be 

successful. To reduce American Airlines’ breakeven

period and offset the risk during start-up, the publicprivate partnership proposes the following incentives: 

• Marketing campaign: create awareness 

• Revenue guarantee: reduce airline risk 

Marketing Campaign 

Service failure and continued drive diversion often result 

from a lack of awareness of available air service at the 

local airport. The public-private partnership 

understands and agrees with the US Department of 

Transportation that a thorough understanding of the

target market is essential for the success of new air 

service. Dubuque Regional Airport has studied regional 

air service needs and hosted a series of Air Service 

Forums with community and business leaders to keep 

them aware of regional air service issues. The problem 

is continually identified as a lack of overall capacity and 

westbound options in particular. 

New air service supported by a well-designed marketing 

campaign increases community awareness and the 

chances of the service becoming self-sustaining. This 

aggressive and comprehensive air service marketing 

campaign is designed to minimize the costly ramp-up

period and to ensure long-term continuation of this air 

service initiative. 

The purpose of this marketing campaign is to create

“Top of Mind” awareness for travelers to choose 

Dubuque Regional Airport for their travel needs. This 

marketing campaign has four primary marketing goals: 

• Reach specified demographics (Ages 25 to 60) 

• Strong focus on business travel 

• Increase current air service levels and passengers 

• Regain travelers diverting to alternate airports 

The marketing campaign will include: 

• Press conference 

• Articles and news releases to local media 

• Personal outreach marketing efforts to tri-state 

businesses 

• Direct mail promotional flyer to the tri-state 

business community 

• Introductory and testimonial advertisements on 

television, radio and billboards 

• Print ads 

• Social media 

• Community involvement 

The target audience will be business and leisure 

travelers from the tri-state area who currently drive to 

alternative airports due to limited capacity out of

Dubuque Regional Airport, particularly to westbound

destinations. Table 7.2 provides the marketing budget. 

TABLE 7.2 MARKETING BUDGET 

DESCRIPTION CASH 

INKIND TOTAL 

Television:

KWWL-TV, local NBC 

affiliate television 

station 

$10,000 $10,000 $20,000 

Radio: 

Queen B Radio, locally 

owned radio stations $10,000 $10,000 $20,000 

Cumulus 

Broadcasting, local 

radio stations 

$10,000 $5,000 $15,000 

Outdoor: 

Lamar Advertising, 

local billboard $10,000 $5,000 $15,000 

Total $40,000 $30,000 $70,000 

The Airport has established an extensive partnership 

agreement with several media outlets. This $70,000

Ribbon Cutting for new Northwest Airlines service to MSP
SECTION 7

STRATEGIC PLAN – IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 21 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

campaign will be funded by non-airport sources 

($40,000 cash) and local media ($30,000 in-kind). 

Revenue Guarantee 

To reduce airline risk and provide incentive to American 

Airlines to provide nonstop service to Dallas/Ft. Worth, 

this Strategic Plan includes a revenue guarantee as part 

of the community support package. Although pro 

forma projections for Dallas/Ft. Worth service are 

positive (Appendix B), service ramp-up and breakeven 

can take up to 12 months. It is anticipated that 

American would require a revenue guarantee to initiate 

service to Dallas/Ft. Worth. Exact terms of the revenue 

guarantee agreement are subject to further discussions 

and negotiation; however, projections suggest that 

$760,000 will be sufficient to mitigate the carrier’s 

short-term losses. 

STRATEGIC PLAN FUNDING

The public-private partnership is requesting US 

Department of Transportation assistance in funding 58 

percent, or $500,000, of the Strategic Plan. Specifically, 

US Department of Transportation funding will be used 

to fund 66 percent of the revenue guarantee. All other 

elements including a portion of the revenue guarantee, 

the marketing campaign and consultant fees associated 

with implementation of the Strategic Plan will be 

funded by the community. Table 7.3 provides the 

Strategic Plan budget by element and sources of 

funding. The Airport and community will fund 42

percent of the total proposed air service program. 

Non-airport funding sources will provide 39 percent of 

the cash requirement and 42 percent of the funding for 

the total program including in-kind services. 

PROJECT CONTINUATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Based on positive pro forma projections for American 

Airlines’ service to Dallas/Ft. Worth the service will be 

self-sustaining after the start-up period which can take 

up to 12 months. At the end of the first year of service, 

the Dubuque community will fund an additional 

$50,000 marketing campaign if the service does not 

perform at an average load factor of 70 percent 

(includes ramp-up period). The public-private 

partnership and the Dubuque business community 

understand the importance of this project and the 

difficulties associated with profitably operating air 

service and will 

continue to work to 

ensure its success.

TABLE 7.3 STRATEGIC PLAN BUDGET 

DESCRIPTION 

FUNDING SOURCE 

TOTAL 

US DOT AIRPORT NON-AIRPORT 

CASH CASH 

INKIND CASH INKIND 

Airline incentive program:

 Marketing campaign $40,000 $30,000 $70,000 

 Revenue guarantee $500,000 $260,000 $760,000 

Consultant fees $25,000 $25,000 

Total $500,000 $0 $0 $325,000 $30,000 $855,000 

Percent of total project 58% 0% 0% 38% 4% 100%

Percent of cash contribution 61% 0% N/A 39% N/A 100%
SECTION 8

SCHEDULE AND MONITORING

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 

 
SECTION 8

SCHEDULE AND MONITORING

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 23 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

he public-private partnership has developed a 

realistic timetable to achieve the goals of this 

proposal. This section provides critical milestones 

to be achieved by the public-private partnership. A 

monitoring program is also provided to track the 

progress of the project. 

CRITICAL MILESTONES

The following milestones are proposed to track the 

progress of this air service initiative. The timeline 

(Exhibit 8.1) is highly dependent on the date of the US 

Department of Transportation’s grant award and the 

service start date. 

February 2011: Development of the marketing 

campaign will be completed in February 2011 in order 

to begin the marketing campaign 60 days prior to new 

service initiation estimated to be June 1, 2011. 

Development of the marketing campaign is dependent 

on air service announcement and start-up. It is 

anticipated that the marketing campaign will begin by 

April 2011 and continue throughout the first year of 

new service. 

May 2011: If American Airlines has not committed to 

nonstop Dallas/Ft. Worth service by May 1, 2011, the 

public-private partnership will contact alternate carriers 

that would meet the goals of this grant application. 

There are many obstacles to air service startup and

efforts to secure Dallas/Ft. Worth service will continue 

as discussions begin with other carriers. 

Considering the changes that may develop in the next 

year with other carriers and other potential hubs, 

Dubuque will monitor the air carrier environment and 

pursue any new opportunities that may satisfy this 

service deficiency. 

June 2011: The service start date is the critical date for 

the rest of the Strategic Plan. It is anticipated that 

American will initiate nonstop Dallas/Ft. Worth service in 

June 2011. Air service initiation is dependent on airline 

route planning and availability of right-sized aircraft for 

the Dubuque market. 

 

May 2012: At the end of 

the first year of service, the 

revenue guarantee will be 

calculated based on the 

terms of the agreement. 

However, frequency of 

revenue guarantee 

payments will be negotiated 

with the carrier. Some 

carriers prefer more 

frequent payments, such as 

quarterly. 

T

This section addresses: 

• How the community will monitor the progress 

of the project 

• The plan/schedule for timely completion of 

the project 

Development 

of marketing 

campaign

FEB 

2011

APR 

2011

Marketing 

campaign

Alternate 

plan if 

necessary

MAY 

2011

JUN 

2011

Service 

initiation

MAY 

2012

End of 

revenue 

guarantee 

period

Monitoring/reporting:

• Quarterly reporting to U.S. DOT

• Monthly passengers and revenue monitoring

EXHIBIT 8.1 TIMELINE
SECTION 8

SCHEDULE AND MONITORING

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 24 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

MONITORING PROGRAM

The monitoring program includes service performance

tracking, assessing the effectiveness of the marketing 

campaign, impact on airfares, and determining the 

influence of improved westbound connections on 

retention at Dubuque Regional Airport. Monitoring of 

the performance of the service and marketing program 

will be handled by the City of Dubuque and Airport 

administration. Monitoring will consist of the 

following: 

Monthly: Aircraft departures, enplanements, load 

factors and other revenue guarantee indicators will be 

monitored monthly. Published airfares will also be

tracked monthly (or quarterly depending on the stability 

of the fares). 

Quarterly: US Department of Transportation reported 

airfares will be monitored on a quarterly basis and

compared to prior quarters. With the lag of 

approximately six months in reported airfares, the first 

quarterly report on the impact of the new service will 

likely occur at the beginning of calendar year 2012. 

Dubuque Regional Airport will report the effectiveness 

of the program on a quarterly basis to the US 

Department of Transportation. 

Annually: A follow-up true market estimate will be 

conducted to determine changes in passenger diversion 

after the first 12 months of service. 
APPENDIX A LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 
PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 26 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

ppendix A includes letters of support for the 

City of Dubuque’s application to the US 

Department of Transportation for improved 

westbound connections. Support letters were 

submitted by participants in the public-private 

partnership and members of the greater Dubuque 

region. The letters of support are included on the

following pages of this Appendix A and are listed 

below. 

Government 

United States Senate – Senator Tom Harkin 

Iowa Department of Transportation 

Public-private partnership 

City of Dubuque (refer to cover letter) 

Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce 

Businesses and Organizations 

A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. 

AAA Minnesota/Iowa 

American Trust 

Avantium 

Cartegraph 

Clarke College – President 

Clarke College – Provost & Vice President for Academic 

Affairs 

Clarke College – Vice President for Business & Finance 

Clarke College – Vice President for Enrollment 

Management 

Cottingham & Butler 

Crescent Electric Supply Company 

Cumulus Broadcasting Inc 

Dairy Lab Services, Inc. 

DDI, Inc. 

Dubuque Mercy Health Foundation 

Dupaco 

Durrant – President/CEO 

Durrant – Retired CEO 

DuTrac Community Credit Union 

Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce 

Businesses and Organizations (continued)

Eagle Window and Door, Inc. 

East Central Intergovernmental Association 

Flexsteel Industries Incorporated – President & CEO

Flexsteel Industries Incorporated – Senior Vice President 

Galena Area Chamber of Commerce 

Greater Dubuque Development Corporation 

Hajoca Corporation 

Happee Smith Productions 

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. 

Honkamp Krueger & Co., P.C. 

House of Travel 

IBM Corp 

John Deere 

Kendall Hunt Publishing Company 

KWWL 

Lamar Advertising of Dubuque 

Liberty Bank 

Loras College 

McCoy Group, Inc. 

McGladrey & Pullen, LLP 

McGraw-Hill Higher Education 

Mediacom 

Northeast Iowa Community College 

OnMedia 

Peninsula Gaming, LLC 

Premier Bank 

Progressive Processing, LLC 

Prudential 

QueenB Media 

Steele Capital Management, Inc. 

University of Dubuque 

US Bank 

Wagner Accounting & Tax Service, Inc.

A This section addresses: 

Letters of support from members of the publicprivate partnership the local business community, 

and state government. 
























































APPENDIX B DETAILED MARKET

ANALYSIS

Proposal under the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program
APPENDIX B

DETAILED MARKET ANALYSIS

PROPOSAL UNDER THE SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Page 84 

DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT

onfidential submission of the City of CDubuque/Dubuque Regional Airport. This section addresses: 

An in-depth analysis evidencing familiarity with the 

target markets and ultimate success of the 

proposed Strategic Plan.