## r)cLk 4 TX3T-oSr

_PCK Q 

## - 1 mM^ , 

# e

us . Dcportnw m o f 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E ItampertOtlo n Marc h 29 . 201 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secteftar

y o f Transportatio n Th e Honorabl e Willia

mSchir f Mayo r of th e Cit y o f Aitoon a 130 1 12 * Stree t Aitoona , P

A 1660 1 Dea r Mayo r Schirf , ? 3 I woul d lik

e to update you o n th e essentia l ai r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Altoona/Blai r

Count y Airpor t an d Joh n Murth aJohnstown-Cambri aAirpor t and giv e yo u a

n opportunit

y to offe r an y comment s o n th e record befor e w e submi t

arecommendatio n to th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n and International Affairs . A s you know , Colga

n Ai r Inc. , operatin g a s Unite d Expres s (Colgan) , i s th e curren t EA S provide r

a t you r community , an

d thei r contrac t expire s Jun e 30,2010 . In anticipatio n of that , w e issue d Orde r

2010-2-28 , Februar y 26 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fro mcarrier s intereste d in providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two-yea r period , beginnin g Jul y 1 , 2010 . I n respons e to our

request , fou

r carrier s responded : Charte r Ai r Transpor t (Charter) , Colgan , Gulfstrea mInternational Airline s (Gulfstream) , an d Sovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . Yo u shoul d hav e receive d acop y o f th e proposal s fro

meac h carrier , an

d they ca n b e accesse d at www.regulations.go v by enterin g th e number s DOT-OST-2002-1144 6 fo r Aitoon aan d DOT-OST-2002 - 1145 1 fo r Johnstow n i

n th e searc h block . A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e the mhere . Charter ha s propose d on e servic e optio n usin g 30-sea t Embrae r EMB-12 0 aircraf

t operatin g tw o roun d trip s eac h da y excep t Saturda y over a n Altoona-Johnstown-Washingto n Dulle s routing , and on e roun d tri p eac h da y excep t Saturda y over a n Altoona-Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g fo r acombine d annual subsidy o f $2,960,205 . Colgan ha s propose d on e servic e optio n to provid e bot h communitie s wit

h thre e roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d eac h weeken d (1 8 aweek) , wit h amix o f nonstop s an

d on e sto p servic e ove

r a n Altoona-Johnstown Washingto n Dulle s o r

Johnstown-Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g usin g 34-sea t Saa b 34 0 aircraf

t fo r a n annual subsid

y o f $3,348,294 . Gulfstrea mha s propose d fou

r servic e options , all o f

whic h woul d us e 19-sea

t Beechcraf

t 190 0 aircraft . Optio n 1 woul d operat e t

o Clevelan d a s Continental Express ; Option s 2- 4 woul d operat e to Pittsburg h and b e unbranded . Optio n 1 woul d offe r fou r weekda y roun d trip s and atota

l o f fou r weeken d roun d trip s (2 4 a week) , over

aCleveland-Altoona-Johnstown-Clevelan d routin g o r Cleveland-Johnstown-Altoona Cievelan d routing , fo

r a n annual subsidy o f

$3,874,464 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda

y an d weeken d (1 8 aweek

) ove r a n Altoona-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annua l subsidy of $1,983,918 . Optio n 3 woul d offe r thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d weeken d (1 8 aweek ) ove r a Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annua l subsidy o

f $ 1,749,981 . Optio n 4 woul d offe r fou r weekda y roundtrip s an

d atotal of

fou r weeken d roun d trip s wit

h ami x of nonsto p an d one-sto p servic e ove r a Pittsburgh-Altoona-Johnstown-Pittsburg h routin g o r Pittsburgh-Johnstown-Altoona-Pittsburg h routin g fo r a n annual subsid

y of $3,.101,212 . Sovereig n Air

ha s propose d thre e servic e options . Whil e all thre e option s woul d us e Kin g Ai r 35 0 aircraft , under Optio n I , i

t woul d b e configure d fo

r 1 2 seats , and under

Option s 2 an

d 3 , 9 seats . Optio n 1 woul d offe r fiv e daily roun d trip s (3 5 aweek ) over aJohnstown-Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y of $1,103,603 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r fou r daily nonsto p roun d trip s (2 8 aweek ) ove r aJohnstown Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y of $1,117,417 . Optio n 3 woul d offe r fou r dail y nonsto p roundtrip s (2 8 aweek

) ove r a n Altoona-Washingto n Dulle s routin g fo r a n annua l subsid y of $1,231,939 .Th e schedule s tha t th e carrier s hav e propose d are illustrativ e onl y an d the y ma y mak e schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , to bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g bank

time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t

doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai r

carrie r to maintai n well-time d and well-space d flight s i n orde r to ensur e ful l compensation . We reques t

tha t you revie w th e proposal s and submi t any comment s yo u ma

y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t n o later tha n Apri l 23 . We will carefull y conside r you r comment s befor

e we submi t

arecommendatio n t

o th e Assistan t

Secretar y fo r adecision . Pleas e sen d your

comment s vi ae-mai l to EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f you hav e an

y questions , pleas e feel free t o contac t Michae l Marti n of

m y staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366 - 6494 . Sincerely , Denni s J . DeVas^ , Chie f ' Essential Air

Servic e Divisio n Offic e of Aviatio n Analysi s cc : Th e Honorabl e Thoma s Trigona , Mayo r o f th e Cit y o f Johnstow n Chuc k Pillar , Altoona/Blai r

Count y Airpor t Scot t Voelker , Joh n Murth aJohnstow n Cambri aAirpor t