### Commissione r Venang o Count y Timoth y S . Brook s 

# Venang o Regiona l Airpor t ?TMyT

. woo d Ches s Lamberto n Fiel dJane t D . Beichne r www.flvfranklin.or g Airpor t Manage r 156 0 Airpor t

Roa dFranklin , P A 1632 3 814/432-533 3 Fa x 814/432-2^'! ° *^^^ " 7/12/201 0

- 1 Mr . Denni s J . D e Vany c ^ Chief , Essentia l Ai r

Servic e Division , X-5 3 Offic e of Aviatio n Analysi s U.S . Dept . of

Transportatio n z a

— H Dea r Mr . D e Vany : o I amwritin g yo u i n support of th e Gulfstrea mInt' l Airline s proposal . Optio n On e (1) , t o provid e schedule dai r

servic e t o Franklin/Oi l City (FKL ) unde r th e Essentia l Ai r

Servic e program . Franklin/Oi l City (FKL ) los t ai r servic e alon g with othe r

EA S communitie s i n May o f 200 8 whe n th e contracte dai r

carrie r cease doperations . Servic e wa s reinitiate do n Septembe r 3 , 200 8 with Gulfstrea mInt' l Airline s operatin g a s Continenta l Connectio n throug h th e Continenta l Airline s hu b i n Cleveland , OH . Th e effor t t o regai n th e trave l marke t los t du e t o th e thre e month s withou t ai r servic e i s o n goin g an dsubstantial . Additionally ; th e natio n experience dth e wors t recessio n i n th e pas t

fift y (50 ) year s almos t

a s soo n a s Gulfstrea mb^ga n FKL service. Th e economi c "recovery " ha s bee n sporadi c nationwid e an dnegligible , thu s far , i n th e Franklin/Oi l City area . Thi s region , whic h ha dbee n particularl y devastate deve n prio r t o 200 8 du e t o plan t

closing s an dlayoffs , ha s bee n workin g t o reinven t it s economy . Th e 200 8 recessio n wa s afurther

setback . Jus t alittl e ove r

ayea r int o th e ne w ai r

service , i n Novembe r

2009 , bega n th e wors t

winte r i n man y years . December , Januar y an dFebmar y saw th e ai r carrie r cance l sixty-fiv e (65 ) FKL flight s du e t o weather . That' s twenty-on e pe r cen t o f th e FKL flight s for

thos e months . Additionally , th e trave l marke t wa s negatively impacte di n 200 8 an d200 9 b y th e SAR S viru s an d th e Swin e Flu . Thes e issue s reall y cause dase t bac k for afragil e marke t

that wa s alread y shake n du e t o th e los t servic e earlier

i n th e year .Th e communitie s o f Franklin/Oi l City support Gulfstream' s optio n #1 servic e throug h Clevelan dan dwil l wor

k closel y wit

h th e Airport

an dGulfstrea mthroug h th e Sav e ou r Servic e (SOS ) effor

t t o improv e passenge r

enplanement s t o agai n b e unde r th e $20 0 pe r

passenge r

cap . Th e servic e offere dusin g Clevelan da s ahu b give s thi s communit y mor e no n sto p destination s an dreasonabl e connection s an dfares . Gulfstrea mha s prove n t o b e ver y custome r

consciou s an d th e Continenta l Coimection/Continenta l brandi s becomin g afavorit e i n thi s region . Th e Airport work s closel y with th e publi c an dth e ai r carrie r o n communicatio n an dcustome r servic e a s wel l a s providin g acos t

fre e busines s environmen t for th e carrier . Thes e fact s wil l mak e th e SO S effor t successful . Th e citizens o f

Frankli n an dOi l City a s wel l a s th e entir e Oi l Heritag e Regio n wan t th e timely , dependabl e ai r

servic e propose db y Gulfstrea man dreques t that th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n provid e thi s chanc e t o continu e th e rebuildin g o f thi s economy . Gulfstream' s optio n 1 can serv e a s ahug e stimulu s t o thi s region . Th e regio n i s experiencin g th e beginning s o f apositiv e tren di n busines s developmen t thank s t o th e har dwor

k of ou r legislator s an dcommunit y leaders . Meaningful , schedule dai r servic e i s a ke y elemen t

i n th e succes s o f

thi s venture . Thi s rura l are ashoul db e allowe dt o compet e with th e large r urban area s o n aleve l playin g field . Viabl e commercia l ai r servic e help s leve l tha t

playin g fiel dan di s necessary for

busines s developmen t

an dsustaine deconomi c growth . W e as k that yo u recommen dthi s proposa l t o th e Deput y Secretary . Than k yo u for your wor k o n th e Essentia l Ai r

Servic e progra mo n behal f o f th e communitie s of Franklin/Oi l City an dth e Oi l Region . Bes t Regards , Oth o C . Bel l Airport Manage r County o f Venango , Permsylvani a