# Q

U S

. Departmen t o f /''^'r'r]ncn)!rff<i; c 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , SE 

### ;ORTAT! 0 IVcinsportatio n • .: i Ur'trv'JIUK ^ Washington , D C 2059 0 Of f ic e O f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n .i l 'E P -' 9 P 2 ^ 3 2 

### SE P 2 1 201 1 Th e Honorable Georg e Dunba r Pennsylvani aHous e of

Representative s Jeannette , P

A 1564 4 Dea r Mr
. Dunbar : Than k you fo r you r lette r supporting th e proposa

l submitte dby th e WestmorelandCount y Airpor t Authorit y fo r agran t unde r the Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Smal l Commimit

y Program)
. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwas establishe dto help smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relatedt o high airfare s andinsufficien t service
. Unde r the statute , the Departmen

t ma y us e the funds t

o mak e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although no mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s i

n the sam e State , h i orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitude in developing solution s t o their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility in how th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used
. O n July 1 , th e Departmen

t issue da n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste din receiving agran

t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e you understandtha

t I canno t commen t o n the merit s o f an y particula r proposal
. I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t wil l giv e fiill consideratio n to all proposal s tha t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy o f

you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor

do f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . I

f I ca n provid e furthe r information o r

assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e t o call me . Suicerel y yours .

Aloh aLe y Associat e Director Smal l Commimit

y Progra m

### ^o< ^

GEORG E DUNBAR , MEMBE R 56T H LEGISLATIV E DISTRIC T Pen n Townshi p Offic e Pin e Center , Suit e 4 209 0 Harriso n Avenu e (Rout e 130 ) Jeannette , P

A 1564 4 Phone : (724 ) 744-030 5 North Huntingdo n Offic e 1259 1 Rout e 3 0 North Huntingdon , P

A 1564 2 Phone: (724 ) 863-158 5 COMMITTEE S Gamin g Oversigh t Financ e Loca l Governmen t Stat e Governmen t

Commonwealt h o f

Pennsylvani a Harrisbur g



### Jul y 18 , 201 1 Aloh a Le y Smal l Communit y Ai rServic e Developmen t Program , X-5 5 US Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave. , S E Washington , D.C

. 2059 0 Dea rIVIs

. Ley : I t i s m y pleasur e t o offe rm y suppor t t o th e Westmorelan d Count y Airpor t Authority' s reques t fo rfinancia l subsid y throug h th e US Departmen t o f Transportation' s Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t Program

. I t i s m y understandin g th e fund s wil l b e use d t o expan d th e schedule d ai rservic e tha t has show n exceptiona l potentia l a t Arnol d Palme rRegiona l Airport

. Th e Authorit y has see n remarkabl e achievemen t wit h th e launc h o f Spiri t Airline s servic e t o Ft

. Lauderdale , F

L an d Myrtl e Beach , SC , attractin g mor e tha n 30,00 0 passengers throug h Arnol d Palme rRegiona l i n les s tha n fiv e months

. Loa d factor s hav e prove n unmatche d a t th e airport , wit h average s bein g i n th e hig h 80 % an d mi d 90 % ranges . Th e airlin e i s no w considerin g additiona l destination s t o augmen t thi s thrivin g operation , an d ask s onl y fo rassistanc e i n marketin g th e ne w routes
. Thes e effort s ar e heavil y dependen t upo n th e trie d an d tru e marketin g effort s tha t th e airlin e has prove n successful

. Gran t fundin g throug h th e SCAS D progra m i s critica l t o supportin g thes e effort s t o expan d servic e an d bolste ra priceles s economi c asse t t o th e communitie s th e airpor t serves .You rfavorabl e revie w o f th e applicatio n woul d b e greatl y appreciated

. I f yo u hav e furthe r

question s o rconcerns , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o cal l m y office

. Sincerely ,
Georg e S Dunba r Member , P

A Hous e o f Representative s GSD/lr z