.,. ~ ,, 

CITY OF MUSCLE SHOALS 

POST OFFICE BOX 2624 • MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA 35662 

------------256.383.5675 ·Fax 256.386.9201------------

DAVID H. BRADFORD 

Mayor: 

Mr. Michael Martin 

July 1, 2014 

United States Department of Transportation 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

1200 New Jersey A venue SE 

Room W86-4 72 

Washington D.C. 20590 

Reference: Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) 

DOT -OST -2000-7856 

Dear Mr. Martin: 

RICKY WILLIAMS 

City Ged:!Tr:easur:er: 

\.,') 

On Monday June 2nd, multiple airlines submitted proposals to pro·~-ide essential air service (EAS) 

at the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL). The Airport serves Muscle Shoals, Florence, 

Sheffield and Tuscumbia, Alabama· and is a vital economic linlc for the entire Northwest 

Alabama region. Historical Socioeconomic Population Statistics· show nearly 1'50,000 residents 

in the Shoals MSA. 

This letter constitutes the combined comments of the communities the Airport serves regarding 

the various air service proposals received. 

First, we wish to thank all three carriers for their interest in our market. We feel this high level of 

interest confirms our belief that our Airport is capable of generating dramatic airline traffic 

increases, with the appropriate carrier and service level. 

We have met with each of the carriers and reviewed their proposals very carefully. After this 

review we would like to endorse the proposal of SeaPort Airlines to provide EAS at ·our Airport. 

SeaPort's proposal calls for 24 round trip flights· p~~ we~k toNashville and requires an anriual 

subsidy level of $1,739,308. The service level is higher than that of any other carrier and the 

subsidy need is between $300,000 and $600,000 lower than any other carrier proposal. 

__ .c......:__ Council Member:s 

JAMES HOLLAND • MIKE LOCKHART • ALLEN NOLES • JOE PAMPINTO • NEAL WILLIS 
" ' 

SeaPort is a well-established regional airline and already has facilities and operations at 

Nashville. We look forward to significant traffic growth with SeaPort service. We are also 

confident that frequent service to Nashville at this modest subsidy level will generate traffic well 

in excess of the 10 enplanement per day requirements and also at subsidy levels well below $200 

per passenger. 

We do, again, appreciate the interest in our market by AirChoiceOne and Sun Air International. 

We are very impressed with AirChoiceOne's success in other cities but are deeply concerned 

about the higher subsidy level required in the carrier's proposals, especially when most of those 

proposals only call for 18 round trip flights per week. Traffic levels would have to greatly exceed 

the carrier's forecast in most years to keep subsidy levels below $200 per passenger. 

Sun Air International proposed service to Memphis. Nashville is closer to our market area and air 

service levels are much higher at that airport than at Memphis. Furthermore, average fares at 

Nashville are much lower than at Memphis and this is a very important consideration given that 

all three airlines will rely on a sum of two locals pricing model. 

We understand that this EAS bid process is preceding under the cloud of the 10 enplanement 

termination notice the Department has advised us of. We will address the merits of our market 

and why we should remain eligible for EAS flights in the appropriate venue. We will note here 

that MSL averaged about 12,170 annual passengers (16.7 enplanements per day) prior to our 

current air service. We believe that our failure to make 10 enplanements per day during FY 2013 

was entirely temporary in nature and due only to the poor service Silver Airways offered in our 

market. Thus, we believe that we will be able to strongly justify a waiver from the 10 

enplanement violation with new SeaPort service to Nashville. 

On that note, and looking forward to successful SeaPort air service, we do not want to burden 

that carrier with having to overcome subsidy levels far in excess of $200 per passenger. The 

current Silver Airways service sees subsidy levels per passenger in excess of $600. Thus, we 

request that the Department terminate the Silver Airways service at MSL on September 30, 2014. 

This avoids the Airport and our new carrier having to overcome one or more months of Silver 

service in October or November, with each month seeing subsidy levels of $600 per passenger. 

We will instead go dormant in terms of air service on October 1, 2014 until SeaPort can begin 

flights. This action on our part saves the Department subsidy funds and gives our new air service 

partner a clean slate from which to grow our traffic levels. We hope the Department can expedite 

the termination notice and waiver application process as well as the awarding of a new EAS 

contract for Muscle Shoals to SeaPort Airlines. Ideally we would like Seaport to be able to begin 

service on October 1, 2014, but we will understand if that date slips by a few weeks or one or 

two months. We would not want our dormancy to extend more than 60 days. 
' .. 

We again express our thanks to the three airlines that offered service proposals and we thank the 

Department in advance for working with us as we navigate the challenges of preserving and 

growing our air service to meet the transportation needs of our region. 

Best regards, 

David H. Bradford 

Mayor 

Cc: Senator Richard Shelby, State of Alabama 

Senator Jeff Sessions, State of Alabama 

Congressman Robert B. Alderholt, State of Alabama 

Congressman Mo Brooks, State of Alabama 

Governor Robert J. Bentley, State of Alabama 

Mayor Mickey Haddock, City of Florence 

Mayor Ian Sanford, City of Sheffield 

Mayor BillS. Shoemaker, City of Tuscumbia 

Northwest Alabama Regional Airport Authority