# Q 0 oT-osr-3oo^-\^'53 ^

U.S

. Departmen t o f ^ 20 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y Jul y 19 , 201 0 o f Transportatio n

Mik e Sharke y Airpor t Manager Wester n Nebrask aRegiona l Airpor t 25002 3 Airpor

t Termina l St

. Suit e 1 0 Scottsbluff

, NE 6936 1 Dea r Mr

. Sharkey : 1 woul d lik e t

o updat e yo u o n th e essential air servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Kearne y Regiona l Airport , Nort

h Platt e Regional Airport , an d Wester n NebraskaRegiona l Airpor t a t Scottsbluff

, an d giv e yo

u a n opportunity t o offe

r any comment s o n th e record before w e submi t arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y for Aviatio n an

d International Affairs

. A s you know , Grea t Lake s Aviatio n Ltd

. (Great Lakes ) i s th e curren t

EA S provider a t you r community , and thei r

contrac t expire s Octobe r

31 , 2010

. I

n anticipatio n of that , w e issue d Orde r

2010-6-16 , Jun e 11 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fromcaiTier s intereste d in providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two-yea

r period , beginnin g November

1 , 2010

. In respons e t o our request , tw o carrier s responded : Grea t Lake s an d Sovereig n Air , Inc

. (Sovereig n Air)

. You shoul d hav e receive d acop y o f th e proposal s fro meac h canier , and the y ca n b e accesse d a t www.regulations.go v b y enterin g th e number s DOT-OST-1996-171 5 fo r Kearney , DOT-OST-1999-517 3 fo r Nort h Platte , an d DOT-OST-2003-I453 5 fo r Scottsbluf f in th e searc h block

. A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e the mhere

. Grea t Lake s ha s propose d on e servic e optio n fo r eac h community , eac h optio n t o b e considere d o n astand-alon e basis

. Servic e to al l thre e communitie s woul d b e thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda y an d weeken d (1 8 aweek ) fromDenver usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf t 1900 aircraf

t fo r a n annual subsidy o f

$1,965,74 0 at

Kearney , $1,871,76 5 a

t Nort h Platte , an

d $1,507,18 5 a

t Scottsbluff

, Sovereig n Ai r

ha s propose d for

eac h communit

y thre e roun d trip s Tuesda y throug h Saturday , and tw o roun d trip s o n Sunda y and Monday , fo

r atotal o f 1 8 roun d trip s a wee k t o Denver usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf

t aircraf t for a n annual subsidy o f

$2,374,45 7 a

t Kearney , $1,516,01 2 Nort h Platte , an d $836,23 1 a

t Scottsbluff

. W e shoul d note , however , that

Sovereig n Ai r

doe s no t currentl y hav e th e requisit e operatin g authorit y fio meither

th e Departmen t

o r th e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n to provid e schedule d air service , althoug h i

t ha s submitte d applications

.Th e schedule s tha t th e canier s hav e propose d are illustrativ e onl y an d the y ma y make schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , to bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g banl c time s a t th e hub

. However , th e Departmen t doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai r

canie r t o maintai n well-time d an

d well-space d flight s i

n orde r t o ensur e ful

l compensation

. W e reques t

tha t yo u revie w th e proposal s an d submi t any comment s yo

u ma y hav e a s soo n as possible , bu t

n o later tha n Augus t 13

. W e wil l carefull y conside r your comment s befor e w e submi t

arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r adecision

. Letter s requestin g feedbac k

hav e als o bee n sent

to th e communit

y leader s o f

th e othe r tw o citie s a s well

. Pleas e sen d your

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

. I

f you hav e any questions , pleas e fee l free t o contac t

Michae l Marti n o

f my staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366-6494

. ^ia i Sincerely ,
/^yl/L^tM.' Q )enni s J

. DeVatfy , Chie f

^ Essentia l Ai r

Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s
cc : Michae l Matthews , Grea t Lake s Aviation , Ltd

. Jo n Payne , Sovereig n Air , Inc

.