A berrsr longitude on life . .'- ; 

. ~ .... Mayor: · 

CH-ERI BARR,Y 

(601 )485-192'7 .:0. 

FAX: (601) 485-1911. 

C ouncil Members: 

GEORGE M THOMAS 

Ward 1 

MARY A B. PERRY 

Ward 2 

BARBARA HENSON 

Ward 3 

June 28, 2011 

Mr. l<evin Adams 

Industry Economist 

US Depart of Transportation 

Dear Mr. Adams: 

.' 

Thank you for submitting the Essential Air Service propos~!! of Silver Airways for . . JESSE E PALMER, SR. . . .. ~ · 

. ~ _W,a!d 4 • • ~ comment. While I believe an airline providing jet servic;e to M~-r.idian is best for our 

' BGBBYR; SMITI'i 

Wa'rd 5 · 

OU ~ CLERK 

(601 ) 485-1959 

FAX: (601 ) 485-1913 

CITY DEPARTMENTS: 

Chief Administrative O fficer 

(601 ) 485-1929 

FAX: {601) 485-1911 

Community Development: 

' (.601 ) 485-1910 

FAX (60 1)484-6813 

• Finance and Records: 

• (601) 485-1'946 

FAX: (601) 485-1 979 . Fire: 

(60 1) 485-1922 

FAX< (-60.1)485-1035 

H omeland Security: 

(601) 484-6890 

FAX: (601) 484-6895 

Parks and Re<:reation : 

(601) 485-1802 

FAX: (601) 485- 1851 

Police: 

(601) 485-1841 

FAX: (601) 484-6832 

Public \Vorks: 

(601)485-1920 

FAX: (601) 485-1864 

60 l 23rd Avenue 

Post Office Box J430 

Meridian, MS 39302- 1430 

www.meridianms.org 

citizens, I understand the proposat ofSilver meets the DCrf r~~~ ments and we ~ not 

have any alternative on that issue. I do have ao objection-to the schedule ~reposed by 

Silver. .. 

DOT data indicates 1,431 of 1,536 ini;>Ound passengers.(or93.2J6) rnade c9nnections in . ~ ~ ~ . ' . ~ . . . . .. . .. •,..-;· .. . . . \ 

Atlanta. This same. data tells us t hat 1,534 of 1652-outbouncfpassengers (or 92.9%) 

made a connection in Atlanta. Therefore Meridian is clearly a market that needs 

connections over a significant hub with fl ight times that meet these connections. 

Enclosed are two spreadsheets, each based on our top 21 origin/destination cities. For 

each of these cities is the se:hedule (based upon Silver1s•proposa1)':9f available connecting 

flights through Atlanta on Delta Air Lines . 

OUTBOUND SCHEDULE COMPARISON ,. 

· . The first spreadsheet is entitled "tlUTBOUND SCHEDULE COMPARISON"~ Silver proposes 

two flights departing Meridian each day except Saturday. Thef irst proposed fl ight arrives .. in Atlanta at 11:40AM. The minimum legal connection time in Atlanta is 55 minutes, . 

therefore any flight a passenger connects to must leave at least 55 minutes after 11:40, 

which is 12:35PM. While this Silver fl ight connects to numerous destinations, the earliest 

arrival possible is mid-afternoon or later. These arrivals are sorrie 4 'hours after the 

connections allowed by our current early morning flight which puts the passenger to 

their destination by noon in almost all cases. The business passenger loses a half day of 

work compared to an early morning (6:00AM) departure. 

The second outbound flight proposed by Silver arrives in Atlanta at 8:10PM. Adding the 

55 minute minimum legal connection time means that the passenger may only connect 

·to flights departing Atlanta to their dest ination after 9:05PM. S~ven of our top 21 

'·-· 
.... . 

., 

. ·• 

markets have no service to connect with this Silver flight. The remaining 14 markets -~ '· 

have only one flight, putting our passenger at their destination as early as i0:46PM or as 

late as 12:33AM. The fact a passenger cannot reach their destination 33% of the time, or 

only very late on the remaining flight is not suitable for our community. Also, if this flight .. is 45 minutes late, only three of our top 21 markets are reachable and our passenger is 

stranded overnight in Atlanta. 

.. 

INBOUND SCHEDULE COMPARISON 

Silver proposes two inbound flights to Meridian each day except Saturday. The first 

proposed flight to Meridian departs Atlanta at 8:10AM. Subtracting the 55 minute 

minimum legal connection time from the 8:10 departure determines that any connecting 

flight must arrive in Atlanta by 7:15AM. Only two·of our top 21 O&D markets make this 

time. Nineteen of qur 21 top O&D markets do not connect to our first daily arrival. I> •• 

• , 1 ... 

The seco11.d:inbound flight proposed by Silver departs Atlanta for Meridian at4:40PM. 

Adj~sting'for c;nnection times, p.-ssengers must arrive in Atlanta from their p~igin S>'i 

3:35PIYL .o'nly one flight from Seattle (our number 10 market) meets this schedule. · 

Other west coast cities make the final departure with only two flights. In any event a 

pas.sefi'ggr I'"QU:.St ~part their origin airport by early afternoon to make this connection. 

Again, thibusiness t;aveler can't complete even a half day of work before naving to 

depart for home. 

Silver's proposal appears to meet all DOT criteria for EAS service, but clearly does not 

meet the requirement in 389.7 "Timing of Flights": 

: · , :'To qualify as essential air service, flights must depart at 

•' 

· · r~asonable times, considering the needs of passengers 

wlth'tonnecting flights·at the hub. It is the policy of the 

Department to consider the reasonableness of the time in :' 

view of the purpose for which the local passengers are 

traveling. If travel is primarily to connect with other flights 

at the hub, local flight times should be designed to link 

· ~ith those flights. If travel is primarily local there should 

.b; at.leas_t~~e morning flight ~ each direction and one 

late-afternoon or evening flight in each direction." 

Since more than 92 percent of Meridian passengers connect, it is clear the silver 

proposed schedule does not meet the requirements of the community. 

We hop;'e thete ·is nci nee-d to re-bid the Meridian service, but the Silver flight schedule 

m4$tl5e adj_usted to meet the requirements of section 389.7 . 

... ·'" .. 'j~ 
.. . •. .. ~ -· . ~ .. \ .. 

Thank you for all of the hard work yon do to provide air service to small communities. 

We look forward to working with. you in the future to grow out of the EAS program I 

Cheri Barry 

Mayor 

l 

... 

. . · ... ·~ 
OUTBOUND SCHEDULE CONNECTIONS - · ... .. Silver Proposal 

Morning Departure Afternoon Departure 

Number of flights Earliest Number of Earliest Number of 

available in Possible connecting Possible connecting 

Atlanta to Arrival at flights Arrival at flights 

. City Airport Destination Destination available Destination available 

1 Atlanta ATL 2 11:40AM 8:10PM --

2 Chicago ORD 12 2:52PM 7 10:56 PM 1 --

3 New York LGA 15 3:02PM 9 11:29 PM 1 ---- 4 San Diego SAN 6 5:07PM 4 11:40 PM 1 -- ·-··-

5 Baltimore BWI 11 2:35PM 6 N/A 0 

6 Orlando MCO 15 2:25PM 9 10:46 PM 1 ------

7 Los Angeles LAX 9 3:48PM 6 11:34 PM 1 

8 Boston BOS 11 3:13PM 7 12:33 AM 1 ---- 9 I Norfolk ORF 7 4:45PM 4 N/A 0 

I -···· --

10 Seattle SEA 4 5:24PM 2 N/A 0 

11 Washington DC D~ 15 2:59PM 9 11:37 PM 1 --- -- 12 Detroit DET 10 4:45PM 5 11:50 PM 1 ·--- ---

13 Las Vegas LAS 8 2:44PM 5 11:22 PM > 1 ---

14 Denver DEN 8 2:58PM 4 N/A 0 -- ---'--:---

15 Jacksonville, NC . OAJ 5 3:44PM 3 N/A 0 

16 Philadelphia PHL 11 

- ~~ci:~l :_ ~ _ _11:55 PMI 1 --- ----- --- 17 San Antonio SAT 7 N/A 0 -- ·-· ·------

18 ·Omah-a OMA 5 4:56 PMI 3 . - N/A__ 0 -- -·--· 

3:10 p~T- c,-"--'-----

19 Dallas DFW 12 7 N/A 1 -······ ----

20 New York EWR 11 2:59 PMI 7 12:06 AM 1 -- --

21 Fort Lauderdale FLL 11 3:40 PMf 6 11:42 PM 1 

.. 
.. I ' C 

. INBOUND SCH!i.PULE CONNECTIONS .,. Silver Proposal -

Morning Arrival I Afternoon Arrival 

Number of flights Latest Number of Latest Number of 

available in Possible connecting Possible connecting 

Atlanta from Departure at flights Departure at flights 

City Airport Destination D.estination available Destination available 

1 Atlanta ATL 2 .. 

2 Chicago ORD 12 N/A 0 12:00 PM 5 

3 New York LGA . 15 N/A 0 12:59 PM 8 

4 San Diego SAN 6 N/A 0 8:00AM 2 -- 5 Baltimore BWI 11 N/A 0 12:45 PM 6 

6 Orlando MCO 15 5:30AM 1 1:30PM 9 

7 Los Angeles LAX 10 N/A 0 7:45 AM 2 - 8 Boston BOS 11 N/A 0 12:15 PM 6 

9 Norfolk ORF 7 N/A 0 12:51 PM 4 

10 Seattle SEA 4 N/A 0 6:30AM 1 

11 Washington DC DCA 15 N/A 0 1:00PM 8 

12 Detroit DTW 10 N/A 0 12:05 PM 5 

13 Las Vegas LAS 8 N/A 0 7:15AM 2 

14 Denver DEN 8 N/A 0 ~ 10:15 AM 4 

15 Jacksonville, NC OAJ 5 N/A 0 1:59PM 3 

16 Philadelphia PHL 11 N/A 0 1:00PM 6 --··--

17 San Antonio SAN 7 N/A 0 12:05 PM 4 

18 Omaha OMA 5 N/A 0 10:11 AM 3 

19 .. Dall-as DFW . .. R N/A 0 12:15 PM 6 

20 New York EWR 11 N/A 0 1:00PM 6 ---·-·- ···----- 21 Fort Lauderdale FLL 11 N/A 0 12:45 PM 7 

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