### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC 20590

The Honorable Maria Cantwell United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Cantwell: July 17, 2012

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Port ofWalla Walla, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, Tourism Walla Walla, and the Walla Walla Chamberof Commerce for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program.
The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no mme than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded.
On May 15, the Department issued an orderrequesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year tile their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, Icannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed.
As is our normal practice, I am placing a ofyour letter and this response in Docket DQT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outs' e t e record ofthis matter. your interest in this program.MARIA CANTWELl WASHINGTON coMMmees: COMMERCE. SCIENCE. AND TRANSPORTATION

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The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary United States Department ofTranspm1ation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington. DC 20590 June 8, 2012

RE: Walla Walla Regional Airport; FY 12 Small Community Air Service Development Program

Dear Secretary LaHood, Iam writing to express my support for the Small Community Air Service Development Program grant application submitted by the Port ofWalla Walla, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, Tourism Walla Walla, and the Walla Walla ChamberofCommerce. The application will help implement a new Walla Walla Airport Coalition Marketing Plan designed to ensure continued passenger growth on inbound and outbound AlaskaAirlines (Horizon Air) flights to Walla Walla Regional Airport (ALW). A federal commitment will be matched with $50,000 in local funds. Typically, Walla Walla Regional Airport is served by two inbound and two outbound Alaska Airlines flights per day, with more than 32,000 total hoardings in 2011. Passenger numbers and load factors in the first quarter of20I 2 indicate that total hoardings for 2012 may surpass 20II levels. That said, load

·factors are not yet sufficiently high to ensure long-term continued service from Alaska Airlines- the only scheduled carriercurrently flying into and out ofALW. Alaska Airlines has indicated that unless load factors are raised, itwill he for,ced to seriously considerdiscontinuing scheduled service to ALW. Walla Walla, Washington is geographically located nearthe cities ofMilton-Freewater and Pendleton, Oregon, two additional population centers that are currently underserved by scheduled aviation service. ALWis the closest airport to .both ofthese cities and a federal investment designed to enhance air set:"ice at ALW, such as that which would be providedby a successful award from the Small Community Air Service Development Program, will benefit residents ofboth northeast Oregon and southeast Washington.

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Web: http11cantwell.senato.gov

PAINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Tf,cOMA. WA 98402 1253) 572-2281 FAX: 1153) 572-5879 FiRST FlOOR VANCOUVER,WA 98661 1:360) fi96-7S38 F.u: 1360) 69&-7844 1202) 224-3441 FI\X: 12021228-0514

### This projectproposal is an excellent example ofpublic private partnership and will 

### help ensure the maintenance ofexistingjobs and the possibility offurtherjob growth as scheduled aviation service is m.aintained and, overtime, hopefully expanded further at Walla Walla Regional Airport. Iaskyou give this application yourfullest consideration.
Sincerely,

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# ~~~~., Maria Cantwell United States Senator



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