### Dcn*-0Sr"20D0-^"^^ 3 OH¥,RTMEN] ' O F M1;\;M3F0RIATI0 K Jun e 15,201 1 "CK^ i OPERATION S Denni s DeVan y ;'0| ! y ^ J b A iO

- 0 1 Essential Ai r

Servic e Chie f

U S DO T EA S an dDomesti c Analysi s Div . 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Av e S E W86-47 1 Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Docke t

DOT-OST-2011-4-7

- Essentia l Ai r Service Openin g Fo r

Kalaupapa . Islan do f Molokai , Hawai i Dea r Mr . DcVany : Than k yo u fo r th e opportunit y to commen t o n th e Essentia l Ai r

Service (EAS ) Reques t

fo r Proposal (RFP ) openin g fo r Kalaupapa , Moloka i Island , Hawaii . Docke t DOT-OST-2011-4-7 . Kalaupap ai s aremote , rura l locatio n tha t can onl y b e accesse db y airplan e o r a200 0 foot

high , 2 6 switch-bac k

foo t trail . Th e Kalaupap apatien t populatio n ranges i

n ag e fro m6 9 to 8 7 an d man y resident s ar e unabl e t o easil y us e th e trail . Therefore , ai r servic e i s critica l t o th e movemen t

o f peopl e t o an dfro mth e Settlement . Al l Kalaupap aresident s an dvisitors t o her e wan t lower ai r fare s similar

to th e averag e for

othe r airfare s t o an dfirimth e res t o f Moloka i Island . Kalaupap aresident s wan t an dnee d7 da y awee k service , especiall y t o topsid e Moloka i o n Friday afternoo n an dbac k to Kalaupap aSunday aftemoo n t o accommodat e worker s an dweeken dtourists . Th e selecte dprovide r

shoul dhav e aschedul e tha t permit s resident s t o g o ou t i n th e mornin g an d return i n th e lat e afternoo n for medica l appointment s an dshopping , plu s araid-day flight t o Honolul u t o accommodat e th e visito r an dbusines s traffic . Servic e fromaprovide r

tha t ha s apositiv e safety recor di n Hawaii , i s financially stable , abl e t o provid e EA S servic e fo

r th e 2-year

contrac t period , an datrac k

recor doperatin g schedtile d commercial service s wit hpositiv e on-tim e servic e record s i n Hawai i i s als o desirable . Th e chose n provide r

shouldals o provid e othe r necessities , lik e whee l chai r accessibl e equipmen t an daircraf

t tha t ca n easil y accommodat e wheelchai r restricte dpassengers . Finally , th e provide r

shoul dhav e aircraf

t capabl e o f

operatin g withi n th e airport restriction s ( 9 passenge r maximum ) wit henoug hequipmen t t o kee p reliabl e an don-tim e servic e operatin g durin g al l season s o f

th e year . Th e curren t

provider , Pacifi c Wings , doe s provid e consistent , o n tim e servic e t o schedule , bu t thei r fare s hav e worke dcontrar y t o th e reason s for EAS . I n th e pas t

thre e year s sinc e the y raise d rate s ove r 250% ^ th e tota l loa dcarrie dha s dwindle d&o move r 3,00 0 annuall y t o a s lo w a s aroun d90 0 thi s pas t

year .



### i* d ~ xd j i3ry3su n d H wdiojo i iio 2 s i un rIn addition , assertion s hav e bee n mad e tha t fare s ar e unimportan t

t o patient s sinc e th e Departmen t

o f Healthpay s for

thei r ai r travel . Patient s are give n medica l cost s for travel , bu t

al l trave l don e o n persona l business , al l thei r famil y an dfriend s trave l an dal l th e tourist s tha t com e int o th e settlemen t

b y commercia l carrie r

t o interac t

wit hth e communit y al l pa y th e hig hfare no w charged . Than k yo u for this opportunit y t o commen t o n th e EA S RF P fo

r Kalaupapa . Sincerely , Th e Belo w Signe dPatient s o f Kalaupap a 

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