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ABSOWrELi1 ABERDEEN

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

SKYWEST EAS BID FOR ABERDEEN, SD (ABR)

DECEMBER 13, 2013

Absolutely!Aberdeen is generally pleased that SkyWest Airlines would submit a bid to

serve ABR with fourteen flights per week on regional jets, 50-passenger aircraft.

By way of additional background, Aberdeen, SO, is a growing community. It is the

regional hub for a trade territory that extends almost 200 miles in any direction.

Financial services, health care, value-added agriculture, manufacturing, alternative

energy, retail, and more industry sectors are all growing all at the same time. Many of

these industry sector have very strategic operations in Aberdeen that require highquality commercial air service to access their markets and key clients all over the globe.

We stand ready to provide additional background about Aberdeen's growing economy

with SkyWest and Delta to facilitate increased and improved air service. As Delta has

mentioned to us before, they need to understand the other opportunities going on in the

community to get the full picture. We would welcome an opportunity to brief SkyWest

and Delta on these growth factors.

In this process of determining the EAS air carrier for ABR, we would ask that SkyWest

consider the following:

1) Possible 3

rd Flight--ABR has an impressive trend line with increasing ridership. To

facilitate service to our growing community, we would ask that SkyWest keep the

communications lines open with ABR and Absolutely!Aberdeen to work together toward

a possible third flight per day.

2) Flight Times-We understand that SkyWest is open to community input on the flight

times. We would respectfully request an opportunity to learn with SkyWest how flight

times are determined and how community feedback can be provided into the flight time

decision-making process. AlA stands ready to provide input to SkyWest about flight

times that make sense to the business traveler from the Aberdeen area, knowing that

several of the region's economic engines depend on high-quality commercial air

service, which includes flight times.

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3) Fares-ABR had done considerable work with the previous carrier regarding pricing

of air service, which has served the region well. At some point the previous carrier had

gotten to the point of price noncompetitive with its pricing strategy, which resulted in

some decrease in ridership. As we go forward, we request that communications lines

be open with ABR and our business community regarding pricing. The desired outcome

here is increased ridership. Together we can work toward that goal with

communications.

4) High-Volume Seasons-ABR has quite a tradition of one or two high-volume flight

seasons, which require additional assistance from the airline serving it. One of the

primary high-volume flight seasons is Pheasant Season in NE South Dakota. We

understand that SkyWest is open to continuing to serve ABR with larger and more

aircraft during this season. These travelers make their plans a long way in advance. If

we could be sure that these flight times and extra flights are determined 6-9 months in

advance of the opening of the "preserve season", which is September 1, that would be

incredibly helpful to the community and the visitor industry.

5) Marketing-To facilitate AbsolutelylAberdeen's goal to earn a third flight again, AlA

would ask that SkyWest keep its communications lines open to the community and

business community to discuss cross-marketing opportunities and resources, as well as

to get the "heads up' when SkyWest is offering any "special promotions", etc.

Absolutely!Aberdeen stands ready to facilitate any input from high-volume business

users and SkyWest in any way that can be mutually beneficial.

Respectfully submitted,

stJO; son

Executive Director

Absolutely!AberdeenjPrairie Vision

416 Production Street North

Aberdeen, SD 57401

605-725-5070

Cell: 605-280-3642

www.Aberdeen5D.com

"Accelerating the Growth of Aberdeen and the Region!"

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