### www.fly-rhi.org May 29, 2012 U. S. Department ofTransportation Office ofAviation Analysis Essential Air Service Division 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Robert G:!Hetk, CommiSsion Chair Joseph J. Brauer, "Di'rector

Attn: Mr. Dennis J. DeVany, Chief Essential Air Service Division RE: Docket OST-2011-0109 Rhinelander, Wisconsin Dear Mr. DeVany, The Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport Commission is concerned about the replacement of air service in a timely manner by Great Lakes Airlines because of a shortage of aircraft availability. Great Lakes Airlines was selected to provide subsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) at Rhinelander Wisconsin, for a two-year period by Order 2012-3-5 on March 7, 2012. Since the Order was issued we have been working closely with Great Lakes Airlines to establish a transition date to relieve Chautauqua Airlines d.b.a. Frontier Airlines of its obligation at Rhinelander, Wisconsin. We believe Great Lakes Airlines has diligently been trying to obtain additional aircraft to serve Rhinelander. However, the community finds itself on a month to month basis with Frontier Airlines with no estimated time in the future for transitioning both airlines. Because ofthis uncertainty we have seen a major decline in passenger ridership at Rhinelander- Attachment 1. The other reality our community faces is the decline of Frontier Airlines presence at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport effective June 1, 2012 whereby the airline will only serve the cities of Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; Denver, CO; Milwaukee, WI; and Rhinelander, WI.

Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport 3375 Airport Road Rhinelander, WI 54501 Office: 715-365-3416 Fax -365-3439 Email: rhiarpt@newnorth.net

### The reality of our situation is the traveling public has been in a state of uncertainty since Frontier Airlines filed on September 9, 2011. Because ofthe lack of confidence in future airlines service at Rhinelander and lack of connectivity at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport into the national transportation system, we find our travelers using alternate airports or avoid traveling at all. Further, the financial impact on our .revenues and those of our concession partners is devastating with the eminent possibility offurlough in the very near future - Attachment 2. Therefore, the inability of Great Lakes Airlines to commit to a specific date to implement the order selecting them, the failure to acquire additional aircraft for Rhinela er, WI EAS; and the financial impact because of the uncertainty of future irline service we respectfully request the Department ofTransportation to open a new the Request for Proposals at Rhinelander, WI in the next 30 days.

, Si cerely, 

### LkertG. 

### He k
- 

### Airport Chair CC: Michael Matthews - CFO - Great Lakes Airlines Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport Commission

Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport 3375 Airport Road Rhinelander, WI 54501 Office: 715-365-3416 Fax -365-3439 Email: rhiarpt@newnorth.netAttachment 1

Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Totals TEN YEAR HISTORY OF REVENUE ENPLANEMENTS RHINELANDER/ONEIDA COUNTY AIRPORT 

### :::::2oo3:>: 2oo4 

### ::>:zoos::::: 2oo6 :: :2001: 2oo8 

### >:2PO!L: 201o :2011: : 2012
·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·. 

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### ::2376 2433**<:~57~:** 3425 ::::: >:3503:

.·.·..·.·.·.·.·.·.· 5125 

## ::::<ss43 5275 ::::5!>96

.. . .....**368o>:::Js~1** :-:-. . ::.: :-: 3015·::

### ::::3~:9~ 2476 :::::**)~41:** 2459

### >:<2~62: ........... . ' .... ,. 32070 ::: 

### :37563: 39277 2681 ::: 

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.......... 2448 

## ? :

## :t453· 2780

# :::::zs78 2440 : :::

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## <::**'417~** ......... 4595

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.... 3306: : 3:1:{}:2 3442

### <.:::;~31( 2781 : :::<:2538 2566**>>~1:~~:** 2179

## >>19.31:

........... >>>>:····.:-·-:-:- 1926**?>2iJs~** 1632**:))~i#** 1828 :;:::**j.~s~** zo8o 

# :.:U:fio!i 2972 :::::3288 3040

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### :::::)1:£6

.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·. 3288**<<479~:** 3609

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### 1084 2646

## :::-:::·~~~4 1984

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# <**<1.8~1:'** 37544:: 

### >34944 25764 :: 

## 269oz: 25112 

### <2s$4a: 1037 980 937 752 773

4479Attachment 2 

## RHINELANDER/ONEIDA COUNTY AIRPORT Statistical Profile
Statistics %Change %Change

-- Month 

### 2012 2011 

### YTD
Total Enplanements 812 2458 -67.0% 4613 9178 -49.7% Revenue Enplanements 773 2389 -67.6% 4479 8877 -49.5% Airline Revenue $13,935.42 $17,791.22 -21.7% $97,447.84 $116,221.36 -16.2% Auto Rentals (1) $1,839.87 $3,347.71 -45.0... /o $6,398.93 $9,894.94 -35.3% Parking lot $4,069.08 $17,056.00 -76.1% $27,339.15 $65,515.15 -58.3''/a FBO Fuel Revenue $206.86 $346.91 -40.4%. $977.87t $1,520.66 -35.7";(,

(1) April Data.