Department of Transportation 

Attn: Dennis DeVany 

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Wasiiington, D.C. 20590 

Jim Kan ^^ :i ;"• ;4j 

Ciiairman, PejJsliin^Regional Air Service Tasl< Force ' ^ Z^-3z3 

c/o Petosl<ey Regional Chamber of Commerce — '^^\zafP\ 

401 E. Mitchell St. ^ ^§ 5 

Petoskey, Ml 49770 o Qp^ ' 

on c75 

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Dear Mr. DeVany and DOT officials. 

As chairman of the Pellston Regional Air Service Task Force, I am writing to you regarding the recent 

proposals from Delta Airlines for service into Pellston Regional Airport. Thank you for the opportunity to 

review the proposals and to offer comments. 

I represent a Task Force that includes seven Northern Michigan regional chambers of commerce, leaders 

in business, community stakeholders and residents. Our goal is to ensure reliable commercial air service 

into Pellston Regional Airport, as has been the case for the last five-plus decades. 

As the chairman, I feel strongly that our Task Force can not endorse a proposal that would limit flights to 

one per day at any time of the year, as Option 3 from Delta indicates. Aside from mechanical and other 

issues that befall commercial aircraft from time to time, resulting in flight delays and cancellations, 

Pellston has another hurdle to overcome and that is the weather. If the airport was served by only one 

flight a ctayy and that flight has a greater chance of being cancelled due to Pellston's annual snowfall, this 

could ^tlainly present a disastrous situation for the airport. All it would take wourfa be a few cancelled 

flights for tilfe flying public to lose confidence in Pellston airport, and a downward cycle could lead to its 

demise. 

Clearly, if Pellston were no longer a viable option for travelers, it would represent a catastrophe for this 

, region. Each year we welcome thousands and thousands of tourists, resorters and vacationers to 

Northern Michigan, and our residents and business owners, too, rely on PLN - from the operators of the 

Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, to the generations of summer residents who return to Harbor Point in 

Harbor Springs, to entities like Boyne Resorts and Stafford's Hospitality who host conventions, weddings 

and large gatherings in this much-sought-after Michigan destination. 

As a member of the Task Force for over 20 years, I have seen firsthand how the airline industry has 

changed, particularly in the last 10 years. Flight frequencies have declined in favor of fewer but fuller 

flights. We also understand Delta's efforts to switch its fleet to all 50-seat jets as it phases out its 34-seat 

SAAB turboprops, prompting the company's effort to receive federal subsidy dollars for flying from 

smaller, regional airports like Pellston. 
We certainly don't begrudge the company the right to pursue its most profitable avenue as it looks to 

use the more expensive jets. We need Delta to be profitable and strong so that it can continue to 

provide Pellston with reliable, adequate service. 

However, limited service is not in the best interest of the flying public. Northern Michigan or Delta 

Airlines. Once passengers have become frustrated with lack of reliable flights. Delta will have a difficult 

time winning them back. We will all feel the impact. 

We would ask that you please consider approving Option 1, which would continue to provide Pellston 

with 14 weekly non-stop flights to Detroit. 

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of the impacts the DOT's decision will have on our 

region and the state of Michigan. 

Sincerely, 

Jim Kan 

Chairman, Pellston Regional Air Service Task Force 

(231) 347-8122 

cc: Kevin Adams 

kevinadams@dot.gov