/L:--^.RTMENTO F 

### LORIN G COMMERC E CENTR E ^ :;.: ] OPERATIONS l^i l F- B - 2 A iO : 5 5
Januar y 24 , 201 2 Th e Honorabl e Raymon dH
. LaHoo d Secretar y o f th e Unite dSlat e Departmen t o f Transportatio n Re : Essentia

l Ai r Servic e fo

r Presqu e Isle , Main e Dea r Mr
. Secretary : Pleas e accep t

thes e comment s to th e EA S proposal s relatin g t o Presqu e Isle , Maine , b y th e Lorin g Developmen t

Authority o f

Maine , whic h i s th e organizatio n charge d wit h redevelopin g th e forme r Lorin g Ai r

Forc e Bas e locate d nea

r Presqu e Isl e i n Limestone , Maine
. Th e Norther

n Main e Regiona l Airpor

t in Presqu e Isl e (PQI ) fo

r man y year s provide d aservic e o f grea t importanc e t o ou r

nation' s defense , by facilitatin g th e movemen t o f innumerabl e militar

y an dcivilian passenger s betwee n Lorin g Air Forc e Bas e and othe r

part s o f th e nation
. Wit

h Loring' s closure i n 199 4 an dwit h th e regio n facing acritical nee d t o realig n it s econom y in th e wak e o f th e economically-devastatin g los s o f Loring , PQ I ha s performe d ano-les s significant rol e i n facilitatin g th e movemen t o f passengers , includin g many busines s passengers , t o an d from Lorin g Commerc e Centr e a s wel l a s other center s o f

busines s and commerc e in th e region
. Lorin g Commerc e Centr e i s aregional center fo r employment

an d i s Maine' s larges t

busines s par k accordin g to th e busines s publicatio n Mainebiz
. Goo d progres s ha s bee n mad e wit h Loring' s redevelopment , wit h employmen t

level s reachin g a s hig h a s 150 0 with adivers e grou p o f new employer s i n th e fields o f manufacturing , aviation , researc h an d development , custome r servic e an dfinance an daccountin g suppor t services , an

d education
. Also , Lorin g Commerc e Centre ha s grea

t potentia l t o develo p fiirthe r an d w e are currentl y workin g wit h variou s companie s t o establis h o r

expan dthei r

operation s here
. If w e ar e t o b e aplac e wher e businesse s ca n thrive , th e regio n need s t o offe r areasonabl e leve l o f passenger air servic e to th e busines s traveler i n particular
. Base d o n m y ow n experienc e in flying fro mPQI a s wel l a s th e experienc e o f man y busines s contact s who'v e visite d Lorin g on routin e busines s errands , th e followin g minimumcharacteristic s ar e o f ke y importance :

• reliabl e ai r

servic e wit

h aBosto n connection , fro ma n experience d an d reputabl e carrier ; • alarge r aircraft , i.e. , aturbopro p aircraf t i n th e 3 0 t o 34-sea

t clas s t o provid e areasonabl y comfortabl e an dquic k

flight;
• fo r the comfor

t o f th e passengers , a

n aircraf t wit h atligh t attendan t an d restroom , sinc e th e flight i s o f longe r duration
. • offerin g arang e o f

arrival an d departure time s to permi t busines s traveler s to mak e connection s an dtrave l efficiently
. l.orinj ! Dcwlopmcn i Authority o f Main e 15 4 Developmen t

Drive , Suite I ' Limestone
. Miiin e (W75 0 PIK.IU-
. (207 ) 52S-70()'

5 lux : (207 ) 528-681 1 u-mail : LDA(a'lorinj;.or} ;Ideally , th e economi c developmen t interest s o f

ou r regio n are bes t

serve d b y bette r

acces s to hig h qualit y air servic e tha

t i s reasonabl y price d wit

h asufficien

t flight frequenc y t o provid e traveler s wit h goo dconnection s an da n overal l convenient

schedule
. I a

maware that

passenger enplanement s a

t PQ I hav e diminishe d ove r th e pas t decad e and I' msur e tha t

man y are drivin g to other airport s in Main e onl y becaus e o f cos t and schedul e considerations
. A s level s o f

servic e decline , busines s us e o f ai r servic e wil l als o decline , makin g th e regio n les s accessibl e an dinhibitin g economi c development
. Conversely , wit h improve d service , busines s us e wil l increas e makin g th e regio n mor e accessibl e to busines s an d makin g th e rout e mor e profitabl e fo

r th e carrier
. On behal f o f th e Lorin g Developmen t Authority , I woul d lik

e t o than k

yo u fo r considerin g th e connectio n betwee n quality ai r servic e and th e leve l o f

economi c activity that

aregio n ca

n enjoy
. Ver y trul y yours ,
Car l W
. Flor a President & CE O Lorin g Developmen t

Authority o f

Main e