U.S

. DeDartmen t o f ^ 2" ° '^^ ^ Jerse y Avenue , S E Transportatio n ^^'^''"s'°" ' ° ^ '°^^ ° Offic e o f th e Secretar

y J ul y 19 , 201 0 o f Transportatio n

Ji mLynaug h : Aiiport Manage r , /^ g Kearne y Regiona

l Airpor t ' :^ 3 514 5 Aiipor

t Rd
. Kearney , N E 6884 8 i Dea r Mr
. Lynaugh : I woul d lik

e to update yo

u o n th e essential ai r

servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Kearne y Regional Airport , Nort

h Platt e Regional Airport , an d Wester n Nebrask aRegional Airpor t a t Scottsbluff

, and giv e yo u a

n opportunit

y t o offe r any comment s o n th e record befor e w e submi t arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an d International Affairs
. A s you know , Grea t Lake s Aviatio n Ltd
. (Great Lakes ) i s th e cunen t

EA S provide r a t you r community , an

d thei r contrac t expire s Octobe r

31 , 2010
. I

n anticipatio n of that , w e issue d Orde r

2010-6-16 , Jun e 11 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fromcarriei- s intereste d i n providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two-yea

r period , beginnin g November

1 , 2010
. I

n respons e to our

request , tw o carrier s responded : Grea t Lake s an d Sovereig n Air , Inc
. (Sovereig n Air)
. Yo u shoul d hav e receive d acop y of th e proposal s fromeac h carrier , an d the y ca n b e accesse d a

t www.repulations.go v b y enterin g th e number s DOT-OST-1996-171 5 fo r Kearney , DOT-OST-1999-517 3 fo r Nort h Platte , and DOT-OST-2003-1453 5 for Scottsbluf f i n th e searc h block
. A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e the mhere
. Grea t Lake s ha s propose d on e servic e optio n fo r eac h community , eac h optio n t o b e considere d o n astand-alon e basis
. Servic e t o al l thre e communitie s woul d b e thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d weeken d (1 8 aweek) fromDenver usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf t 1900 aircraf

t for a n annua l subsid y o f

$1,965,74 0 a

t Kearney , $1,871,76 5 a

t Nort h Platte , and $1,507,18 5 a t Scottsbluff

. Sovereig n Ai r

ha s propose d for

eac h community thre e I'oun d trip s Tuesday throug h Saturday , and tw o roun d trip s o n Sunda y an d Monday , fo

r atota l of 1 8 roun d trip s a week t o Denver

usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf

t aircraf t for a n annual subsidy o f

$2,374,45 7 a

t Kearney , $1,516,01 2 Nort h Platte , and $836,23 1 a

t Scottsbluff

. W e shoul d note , however , tha

t Sovereig n Ai r

doe s no t currentl y hav e th e requisit e operatin g authorit y fro meithe r th e Departmen t

o r th e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n to provid e schedule d air service , althoug h i

t ha s submitte d applications
.Th e schedule s tha t th e carrier s hav e propose d are illustrativ e onl y and the y ma y make schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , to bette r meet shiftin g connectin g ban k time s a t th e hub
. However , th e Departmen t doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai r

carrie r to maintai n well-time d an d well-space d flight s i n orde r t o ensur e ful

l compensation
. W e reques t

tha t you revie w th e proposal s and submi t an y comment s yo

u ma y hav e a s soo n a s possible , but

n o late r tha n Augus t 13
. W e wil l carefull y conside r your comment s before w e submi t

arecommendatio n t

o th e Assistan t

Secretary fo

r adecision
. Letter s requestin g feedbac k

hav e als o bee n sent

to th e community leader s o f th e othe r tw o citie s a s well
. Pleas e sen d your

comment s vi ae-mai l t o EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638
. I

f yo u hav e any questions , pleas e feel fre e t o contac t Michae l Maiti n o

f m y staf f a t michacl.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366-6494
. iis ^ Sincerely ,

)enni s J
. DeVfirhy , Chie f

a Essential Ai r

Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s
cc : Michae l Matthews , Grea t Lake s Aviation , Ltd
. Jo n Payne , Sovereig n Air , Inc
.