Departmen t o fTransportatio n

Attn : Denni s DeVan y 120 0 Ne wJerseyAve. , S.E . Wasiiington , D.C . 2059 0 Ji m Ka n ^ ^ :i ;" •;4 j Ciiairman , PejJsliin^Regiona l Ai rServic e Tasl < Force ' ^ Z^-3z 3 c/ o Petosl<e

yRegiona l Chambe ro fCommerc e — '^^\zafP \ 40 1 E . Mitchel l St . ^ ^§ 5 Petoskey , M l 4977 0 o Qp^ ' o n c7 5

— J Dea rMr . DeVan yan d DO Tofficials . A s chairma n o fth e Pellsto n Regiona l Ai rServic e Tas k Force , I a m writin g t o yo u regardin g th e recen t proposal s fro m Delt a Airline s fo rservic e int o Pellsto n Regiona l Airport . Than k yo u fo rth e opportunit yt o revie wth e proposal s an d t o offe rcomments . I represen t a Tas k

Forc e tha t include s seve n Norther n Michiga n regiona l chamber s o fcommerce , leader s i n business , communit ystakeholder s an d residents . Ou rgoa l i s t o ensur e reliabl e commercia l ai rservic e int o Pellsto n Regiona l Airport , a s has bee n th e cas e fo rth e las tfive-plu s decades . A s th e chairman , I fee l strongl ytha t ou rTas k Forc e ca n no tendors e a proposa l tha twoul d limi tflight s t o on e pe rda ya t an ytim e o fth e year , a s Optio n 3 fro m Delt a indicates . Asid e fro m mechanica l an d othe r issue s tha t befal l commercia l aircraf t fro m tim e t o time , resultin g i n fligh tdelay s an d cancellations , Pellsto n has anothe rhurdl e t o overcom e an d tha ti s th e weather . I fth e airpor twa s serve d b yonl yon e fligh t a ctay

yan d tha t fligh t has a greate rchanc e o fbein g cancelle d du e t o Pellston' s annua l snowfall , thi s coul d ^tlainl ypresen t a disastrou s situatio n fo rth e airport . Al l i twoul d tak e wourfa b e a fe wcancelle d flight s fo rtilf e flyin g publi ct o los e confidenc e i n Pellsto n airport , an d a downwar d cycl e coul d lea d t o it s demise . Clearly , i fPellsto n wer e n o longe ra viabl e optio n fo rtravelers , i twoul d represen ta catastroph e fo rthi s

, region . Each yea rw e welcom e thousand s an d thousand s o ftourists , resorter s an d vacationer s t o Norther n Michigan , an d ou rresident s an d busines s owners , too , rel yo n PLN - fro m th e operator s o fth e Gran d Hote l o n Mackina cIsland , t o th e generation s o fsumme rresident s wh o retur n t o Harbo rPoin ti n Harbo rSprings , t o entitie s lik e Boyn e Resort s an d Stafford' s Hospitalit ywh o hos tconventions , wedding s an d larg e gathering s i n thi s much-sought-afte rMichiga n destination . A s a membe ro fth e Tas k Force fo rove r2 0 years , I hav e see n firsthan d ho wth e airlin e industr yhas changed , particularl yi n th e las t 1 0 years . Fligh tfrequencie s hav e decline d i n favo ro ffewe rbu tfulle r flights . W e als o understan d Delta' s effort s t o switc h it s flee tt o al l 50-sea tjet s as i tphase s ou tit s 34-sea t SAAB turboprops , promptin g th e company' s effor tt o receiv e federa l subsid ydollar s fo rflyin g fro m smaller , regiona l airport s lik e Pellston .W e certainl ydon' t begrudg e th e compan yth e righ tt o pursu e it s mos tprofitabl e avenu e a s i tlook s t o us e th e mor e expensiv e jets . W e nee d Delt a t o b e profitabl e an d stron g so tha ti tca n continu e t o provid e Pellsto n wit h reliable , adequat e service . However , limite d servic e i s no t i n th e bes t interes to fth e flyin g public . Norther n Michiga n o rDelt a Airlines . Onc e passengers hav e becom e frustrate d wit h lac k o freliabl e flights . Delt a wil l hav e a difficul t tim e winnin g the m back . W e wil l al l fee l th e impact . W e woul d as k

tha t yo u pleas e conside rapprovin g Optio n 1 , whic h woul d continu e t o provid e Pellsto n wit h 1 4 weekl ynon-sto p flight s t o Detroit . Than k yo u fo ryou rtim e an d thoughtfu l consideratio n o fth e impact s th e DOT' s decisio n wil l hav e o n ou r regio n an d th e stat e o fMichigan . Sincerely , Ji m Ka n Chairman , Pellsto n Regiona l Ai rServic e Tas k Force 

### (231 ) 347-812 2 cc : Kevi n Adam s kevinadams@dot.go v