& 

# Ocrr-o5r- , Washington . D C 2059 O ULS.Departmen t o f 120 0 New Jerse y Avenue . S E Transportatio n '""'' ' "^-'1=^ , Offic e o f th e Secretar

y Jul y 19 , 201 0 o f Transportatio n Darwi n Skelto n Aiiport Manager Nort h Platt e Regional Airpor

t 540 0 E . Le e Bird Dr . Suit e 1 0 Nort h Platte , NE 6910 1 Dea r Mr . Skelton : I woul d lik e t

o update yo u o n th e essential ai r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Kearne y Regional Airport , Nort

h Platt e Regiona

l Airport , an d Western Nebrask aRegional Airpor t a t Scottsbluff

, an d giv e you a

n opportunit

y t o offe r an y comment s o n th e recor d 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 . (Grea t Lakes ) i s th e curren t

EA S provider a t your community , an d thei r

contrac t expire s Octobe r

31 , 2010 . I

n anticipatio n o f that , w e issue d Order

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

r period , beginnin g November

1 , 2010 . I

n respons e t o ou

r request , tw o carrier s responded : Grea t Lake s an d Sovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . Yo u shoul d hav e receive d acop y of th e proposal s fromeac h carrier , an d 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-2003-1453 5 fo r Scottsbluf f i n th e searc h block . A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e themhere . 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 on 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 and weeken d (1 8 aweek) fromDenver usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf t 1900 aircraf

t fo r a n annua l subsidy o f

$1,965,74 0 a

t Kearney , $1,871,76 5 a

t Nort h Platte , and $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 an d Monday , fo

r atota l o f 1 8 roun d trip s a week to Denve r

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 , tha

t Sovereig n Ai r

doe s no t currentl y hav e th e requisit e operatin g authorit y fro meithe r 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 carrier s hav e propose d ar e illustrativ e onl y an d the y ma y make schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban k time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t doe s expec t

asubsidize d ai r

carrie r t o maintai n well-time d and well-space d flight s i n orde r to ensur e ful

l compensation . W e reques t

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

u ma y hav e a s soo n a s possible , but

n o later tha n Augus t 13 . W e wil l carefull y conside r your comment s before w e submi t

arecommendatio n to th e Assistan t Secretary fo

r adecision . Letter s requestin g feedbac k

hav e als o bee n sent

to th e community leader s of th e othe r tw o citie s a s well . Pleas e sen d your

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

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l free to contac t

Michae l Marti n of

m y staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v or 202-366-6494 . Sincerely ,

Denni s J . DeVhhy , Chie f 

### c - ^ 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 .