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# ^ozun ofMassena , 9{ezu^orl<;^ , , , , ^ p , ^ ^ ^ 'EstaSCisHed : 180 2 TmmJ M 315-769-358 8 6 0 9v(ai n Stree t (y^a ^ 315-769-057 8 C^assena , 9^zi>yorf(il366 2 fittp://7Viuiu.jnassenaivoT^.coin/tozim/inde7(.as p Augus t 20 , 201 0 Mr . Denni s J . DeVany , Chie f EA S StDomesti cAnalysi s Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Essentia l Ai rServic e Division , X-5 3 W8 6 308,120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenu e S E Washington , D

C 2059 0 Re : IX)T-OST-1997-284 2 Proposa l fo rGulfstrea m Internationa l Airline s t o Provid e Subsidize d Essentia l Ai rServic e fo rIVIassena , Ne wYor k Dea rMr . DeVany : O n behal f o f th e Tow n o f Massen a an d it s Tow n Council , I a m writin g t o commen t o n th e proposal s submitte d fo rou rEssentia l Ai rServic e contrac t whic h i s se t t o expir e i n September . O n Augus t 18 , 2010 , th e Massen a Tow n Counci l vote d b ya margi n o f 4- 1 t o suppor t th e proposa l fro m Gulfstrea m Internationa l Airlines . I t i s ou rbelie f tha t Massen a wil l b e bes t serve d b yth e Gulfstrea m Internationa l Airline s proposa l t o provid e servic e t o Bosto n wit h a pressurized-cabin , 19-passenge raircraft . Furthermore , w e ar e please d tha t th e Gulfstrea m meet s o rexceed s th e Essentia l Ai rServic e criteri a requirement s a s t o th e siz e o f th e aircraf t an d servic e t o a mediu m o rlarg e hub . W e hereb yinvok e ou rrigh t t o th e provision s include d i n thos e criteria . Th e Tow n Counci l i s intrigue d b yGulfstream' s verba l commitmen t t o provid e servic e t o Alban yfro m Ogdensbur g shoul d the yb e successfu l i n securin g tha t EA S contrac t a

s well . Thi s "regional " approac h t o ai rservic e woul d see m t o b e a muc h mor e efficien t an d practica l wa yt o addres s th e varie d concern s expresse d b yloca l passengers fo rservic e t o tw o mai n destinations . Th e DO T i s t o b e commende d fo rassistin g i n securin g Cap e Ai rt o provid e Massena' s presen t EA S afte r th e failur e o f Bi g Sk

yAirline s lef t u s wit h n o servic e a fe wyear s ago . Cap e Air' s presenc e an d servic e wa s a welcom e relie f t o traveler s wh o wer e face d wit h th e prospec t o f travelin g 7 0 t o 10 0 mile s t o boar d a n airplane . W e than k

bot h Cap e Ai ran d you ragencyfo rcomin g t o ou rassistanc e a t tha t time .No ww e mus t mov e forward .

Th e Tow n Counci l i s please d tha t th e DO T takes ou ropinio n int o consideratio n i n thi s process . W e ar e als o confiden t tha t DOT' s oversigh t an d du e diligenc e wil l ensur e tha t whoeve ri s awarde d th e EA S contrac t fo rMassen a ha s adequat e busines s resource s t o preven t an yfutur e interruptio n o f ou rai r service . Th e EA S progra m i s a wonderfu l exampl e o f ho wth e federa l governmen t ca n hav e a direc t impac t o n th e America n publi cb yprovidin g service s a t th e loca l level . W e ar e thankfu l i t exist s an d w e hop e i t wil l continu e fo rman ymor e years . I hav e enclose d fo ryou rinformatio n an d review , a historica l perspectiv e o f Essentia l Ai rServic e fo rou r airpor t an d th e surroundin g Nort h Countr yRegion . I f yo u hav e an yquestion s o rconcern s regardin g thi s lette ro rth e Tow n Council' s stanc e o n thes e EA S proposals , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t me . Sincerely , Josep h D . Gray , Superviso r Tow n o f Massen a cc : Hon . Charle s Schumer ; U.S . Senato r Hon . Kirste n Gillibrand ; U.S . Senato r Hon . Bil l Owens ; Membe ro f Congress , N Y Distric t 2 3 Hon . Gre g Paquin ; Chair , St . Lawrenc e Count yLegislatur e Mr . Davi d Hackett ; President , Gulfstrea m Internationa l Airline s Ms . Pat McGowan ; Executiv e Director , St . Lawrenc e Co . Chambe ro f Commerc e Mr . Jaso n Clark ; Executiv e Director , Busines s Dev . Corp . fo ra Greate rMassen aTh e Followin g i s ahistorica l perspectiv e o f Essentia l Ai r

Servic e tha t

ha s bee n provide da t ou r airpor t an dthroughou t

th e Nort hCountr y region . Th e Tow n of

Massen aha s worke dconsistentl y t o improv e ai r servic e i n th e St . Lawrenc e Valle y regio n sinc e 2004 . Ou r

effort s hav e bee n advance dby :

• A U S DO T Communit y Ai r Servic e gran t

receive di n 200 5 t o marke t th e Massen aAirport an ddevelo p sustainabl e service ; • Activ e membershi p i n th e NorthCountry Airport Allianc e sinc e it s inception , wher e w e wor k cooperativel y withthre e othe r EA S serve dairports ; • Th e support

o f twent y communit y partner s wh o serve do n th e St . Lawrenc e Valle y Ai r Tas k Forc e that

helpe du s t o obtai n an dimplement ou r Communit y Ai r

Servic e Grant ; • Cap e Air, ou r

EA S provide r

sinc e 2008 , whic hrestore dconfidenc e i n ou r airport b y providin g exceptiona l loca l servic e followin g th e unanticipate dbankruptc y o f Bi g Sk y Airlines , ou r

EA S provide r

fro mApri l 200 7 t o Januar y 2008 . Thes e effort s reflec t

th e recen t

evolutio n o f

ai r servic e i n Massena . Fo r severa l year s prior , Massen awas serve db y variou s carriers , includin g MES A Airlines , wh o fle w unde r aU S Airway s banner . The y operate d1 9 seat planes tha t

fle w fro mMassen at o Pittsburgh , wit hstop s i n Ogdensbur g an dWatertown . A t th e time , Pittsburg hnot

only<serve da s ahu b for

U S Airway s bu t th e rout e was convenien t fo r th e region' s primary manufacturer , Alcoa , b y linkin g it s Massen aoperation s withit s Pittsburg hoffices . Alco aha s sinc e move dmos t of it s managemen t operation s t o Ne w York , NY . Ove r time , bothth e Pittsburg hrout e an dth e three-sto p arrangemen t becam e les s attractiv e an d resulte di n lowe r

enplanements , especiall y i n Massena . Severa l effort s wer e mad e t o encourage MES A t o provid e direc t

flight s fro meac hairport , an dt o mak e Albany , rathe r tha n Pittsburgh , th e destinatio n for

flight s out

o f th e region . Acces s t o th e stat e capita l an dflight s connectin g t o th e eas t an dsouth , mad e thi s locatio n very attractiv e for th e larg e numbe r

o f stat e an dfederal employee s i n th e region , th e senio r "snowbird " population , an dth e four universitie s that

are locate di n Canto n an dPotsda mtha t primaril y attrac t

student s fro mth e northeast . Whe n MES A di dnot

sho w interes t

i n changin g it s approach , loca l citizen s too k action . In 2004 , th e St . Lawrenc e Valley Ai r Tas k Forc e (SLVATF ) wa s forme dt o advocat e for improve dai r servic e a t th e Massen aInternationa l Airport . Co-chaire db y leader s fro mth e Busines s Developmen t

Corporatio n for

aGreate r Massen aan dth e St . Lawrenc e Count y Chambe r o f Commerce , thi s grou p wa s abl e t o secur e U S DO T fundin g t o retai n professiona l marketin g an d ai r servic e counsel , whic hsignificantl y increase denplanement s at Massena . Th e SLVAT Fals o serve da s acondui t throug hwhic hregiona l partner s worke dwithBi g Sk y Airlines . Bi g Sky ha dforge dapartnershi p withDelt at o expan dthei r EA S service s t o th e eastern part

o f th e Unite dStates . Regiona l traveler s embrace dBi g Sky' s willingnes s t o offe r direc t flight s fro meac hairport , provid e large r aircraft , an dt o establis hBosto n a s adestination .Unfortunately , Bi g Sky faile dt o delive r o n it s busines s pla n an dprovide dvery poo r service. It ultimatel y cease doperation s at severa l aiiport s includin g Massen amidwa y throug hit s EA S contract . Massen aan dOgdensbur g wer e not serve db y a

n ai r carrie r for severa l months . Durin g tha t time , th e SLVAT Fworke ddiligentl y withU S DO T t o identif y areplacemen t

carrie r that woul dnot onl y restor e service , but als o rebuil dth e confidenc e o f th e loca l ai r

travelin g public . At that time , onl y tw o canier s bi do n replacemen t servic e for

th e thre e regiona l airports ; Cap e Ai r an dGulfstrea mInternationa l Airlines . Cap e Ai r bi dt o serv e al l thre e airport s an d Gulfstrea mbi dt o serv e onl y Watertown . Massen aan dOgdensbur g endorse dth e Cap e Ai r proposa l based , i n part , o n recommendation s fro mairport official s i n Sarana c Lak e an d Plattsburgh , but

largel y becaus e Cap e Ai r assure dservic e t o al l thre e airports . Sinc e Cap e Ai r

bega n operation s a

t Massena , enplanement s hav e no t onl y rebounde dbu t

grown , an dthe y hav e prove n t o b e exceptiona l communit y partners . I t is , however , unfortunate , that the y d o no t

currentl y offer

aservic e o n aircraf

t tha t accommodat e mor e tha n nin e passengers . Th e siz e of

thei r aircraf t continue s t o b e abarrie r for som e potentia l loca l traveler s wh o choos e t o enplan e elsewhere . Work ove r th e pas t decad e ha s show n tha t

th e Massen aInternationa l Airpor t ha s th e capacity t o grow , an da s aBoard , w e ar e committe dt o increasin g enplanement s t o th e poin t wher e w e wil l n o longe r nee dt o b e service dthroug hEA S subsidies .