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# HAYSMED ':

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# I P.O.Box8100 

# I Hays,KS67601 

# I**785.623~5000** 

# l -FAX785.623.5524 www.haysmed.com 

# I OFFICEOF

### PRESJDENT&

### CEO

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December 20, 2013

Kevin Schlemmer Director EAS Program West Building 1200 NewJersey Ave. SE Washington D.C. 20590 Dear Mr. Schlemmer: l ,-- '

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## DEC 20 2013

Hays Medical Center provides regional health services that span**We~tern** Kansas. In orderto provide the vast array of needed healthcare it is vitalthatwe attract and retain physicians, nurses and other specialized staff members. It is imperative thatwe have reliable air passenger services available in Hays to accomplish this feat. HaysMed heavily utilizes local air passenger services for physician recruitment, on site vendor meetings and ongoing employee training and education. Oursuccess relies heavily on access to quality air passenger services. "Great Lakes", the current airline serving Hays, has not proven reliable. We have had numerous complaints by vendors and other business**::~ssociates** aboutthe cancelations and timely air service in and out of Hays. HaysMed is committed to ··'Flying Haysi/, but have lost confidence in the airflight service due to last minute cancellations,**i<~ck** ofon-time service and inconsistent operations. At times we have been forced to utilize**o~her** air service out ofWichita, Manhattan, and Kansas Cityto meetour business needs.
- · Leaving Hays to access air passenger service hurts the local Hays ecorromy. It also results in lost time and money forthe hospital because ofthe added driving time and 

### !oss of productive worktime. In the case of physician recruitment itoften shortens the visitation**windq~** forthat prospective physician and also leaves a negative impression of Hays with the candidate. ·· We strongly urge you to award the contractto a new air passenger service that is committed to serving the local community by providing on-time, reliable service, to**ben~!lt** all passengers flying out of Hays.

# FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY Forward thinking. World ready.

December 20, 2013 

### OFFICE OFTHE PRESIDENT



## DEC 20 2013 Kevin Schlemmer Director EAS Program West Building·

. I 1 ..-1. ·:· 

### 1200 NewJerseyAve. SE Washington D.C. 20590 Dear Mr. Schlemmer: I am writing on behalf of Fort Hays State University and our region to askthat the EAS contract forthe coming two years be awarded to SkyWestAirlines. The service provided by Great Lakes Airlines has never been good, but the rapid deterioration in reliability overthe past year has created even greater hardships for FHSU faculty, staff and students. I personally have had flights canceled, forcing me to either miss meetings or make hurried trips by car between Hays and Denver. Our hundreds of international students are especially inconvenienced when they cannot make connecting flights for overseas travel. Considering that Great Lakes has not been able to provide even minimally adequate service under its current contract, I cannot imagine how 

### it proposesto improve its service with a greatly reduced EAS subsidy. Circumstances such as requirements for more pilot hours that have created the problems for Great Lakes will only getworse. Fort Hays State is a thriving university. Our enr.ollment has actually more than doubled since the year.:.2000. Hays is a thriving community. We need the dependable air service the SkyWest can provide. As the name "Essential Air Service" aptly describes, and given our remote location, reliable commercial air service is absolutely essential to our university and our community. Great Lakes has demonstrated that it cannot provide the service we need. We trustyou will makethe decision in favor of SkyWestthat will help ensure a bright future for Fort Hays State and the people of our region.

··::

### Edward H. Hammond President

312 Sheridan Hall· 600 Park Street· Hays/ KS 67601-4099 (785) 628-4231 ·FAX (785) 628-4013 ·www.fhsu.edu/president

# h

HAYS AREA

CHAMBER OF COMMERC'E

Kevin Schlemmer Director EAS Program West Building 1200 New Jersey Ave SE Washington D.C. 20590
Dear Mr. Schlemmer: 2700Vine Hays, I<S 67601

785-628-8201

December 27, 2013

On behalfofthe Hays Area Chamber ofCommerce Board of Directors, and serving as thevoice ofthe local business community, I am writingto askyou to award the EAS contractto SkyWestAirlines. The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce encourages your consideration ofSkyWestto provide air passenger services in Hays. We are aware of increased concerns with our current airline service, as well as increased business professionals choosing air se.rvice In othercommunities, due tothe unreliable services currently offered in Hays. Itis our beliefthat ifSkyWest Airlines is awarded the contract, our communitywill benefit In areas such as (and not limited to): )> Improved consistency and reliability with alrtravel out of Hays, linking the business communitywith outof-state corporate staffand current or potential customers. 

# > Easler access to conferences and training, demanding less out-of-officetime for our business professionals and community leaders. )> Increased state and nationwide exposure for ourcommunity as well as local businesses, fostering a positive image ofthe area thatwill promote return future visits as well as job relocations or expansions to the area. )> A healthier local economic situation with increased sales and sales tax**revenue~** thus cementing Hays and Ellis Countis role as atop economic pull-factor within the state. We believe our community and region will greatly benefit from the results ofthis partnership and we encourage you to grant Sl<yWest the EAS two-year contract for Hays. Ifthe Chamber Board can be of any further service in expressing its support, please don't hesitate to contactthe Chamber office at 785-628-8201. Regards,

# Jm~_W~ TammyWellbrock Executive Director Hays Area Chamber of Commerce

# 1111111111111111111 Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development December 26, 2013
Kevin Schlemmer Director EAS Program West Building 

### 1200 NewJersey Ave SE Washington D.C. 20590 Docket DOT-OST-1998-3497
Mr. Schlemmer:
I am the Executive Directorforthe Ellis CountyCoalition for Economic Development, providing economic developmentfor Hays, KS and Ellis County. Iam writingto you in support ofthe decision to acceptthe Sky West proposal to provide Essential Air Services to Hays instead ofourcurrent carrier, Great Lakes. The City of Hays is a growing communitythat serves an important role In NW Kansas. As the largest NW Kansas communitywe serve as the education, healthcare, employment, and retail hubfor our region. Reliable air s.ervice is an important part ofthat equation. Great Lakes, with atrack record ofdelays and last minute cancelations, does not meetthe needs ofthe community or region.
In additionto the revenue generation related to airtravel, reliable airservice is important to a numberof local businesses. One ofour largest manufacturers, Enersys, is headquartered in Pennsylvania. Quick and efficienttransportation to Hays for corporate staff, as well as current and prospective clients, Is an important link in their business. Unreliable air service, such as Great Lakes typically delivers, can be very costly. Loss of clients or potential clients is a real risk. This can lead to loss ofjobs, as companies seldom expand at locations that are deemed too remote to reach easily. 

### As several ofour otheremployers grow and expand theirdomestic markets, this issue with reliable airtransportation affectsthem as well. With clients further away, travel to distant locationsto meetwith clients, orto resolve issue quickly becomes a necessity. Our effortsto expand also include recruitment ofnew businesses tothe region. One ofthe first questions often asked is regarding access to reliable alr service. Manycompanies now make airservice a requirement in their Request for Proposal from any community being considered for expansion. The abilityto easily move seniorstaff into a newcommunityto oversee the construction and start-up phase ofan expansion Is deemed critical. Again, the past record ofgreat Lakes, especially in the last few months, shows thatthey cannot provide the level ofservice thatthis communityand region needs. On behalfofthe Coalition, I urge you to support the City of Hay's requestto grant EAS to Sky West. This region cannot afford to continue to rely on the poorservice provided by Great Lakes. The cost to our economy is too high. Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions. Regards

Aaron 

### J. White Executive Director

# Midwest Energy, Inc.
Earnest A. Lehman, President and General Manager 

### December 31, 2013 Kevin Schlemmer Director1 

### EAS Program West Building 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Mr. Schlemmer, 1330 Canterbury Road P.O. Box898 Hays, Kansas 67601-0898 (785) 625-1400 1-800-222-3121 Fax(785)625-1494 www.mwenergy.com



### I am writing on behalf of Midwest Energy, Inc., a member-owned cooperative providing electricity and natural gas utility service across central and western Kansas1 

### and asking your consideration that the EAS contract for Hays, Kansas be awarded to SkyWest Airlines • In the years that Great Lakes Airlines has been serving Hays, we have witnessed a continued deterioration in reliability. Employees and contractors attempting to fly to or from Hays on Great Lakes have experienced cancelled flights, late connections, and have been stranded due to aircraft maintenance or crew issues. I have personally been inconvenienced many times. Recent news reports show the problem worsening, listing Great Lakes' annual on-time performance at Hays at 58 percent, and dipping as low as 43 percent some months. Attempting to fly Great Lakes is no longer aviable option for our travelers, and today nearly all our company travel is accomplished from Wichita, Kansas City or Denver; respectively three, four and five hours away. Employees and contractors seeking reliable airtravel lose as much as afull day of productivity on each trip. We also incur additional costs for extra hotel nights and increased rental car usage. These costs add up quickly and have to 

### be borne by our member owners due to the simple lack of a reliable air service option at Hays. Years of experience have proven that Great Lakes cannot meet the air service requirements of Midwest Energy or those of the Hays community. I am convinced that SkyWest Airlines can provide the safe, reliable air service that we need. I urge you 

## to award the EAS contract

## to SkyWest Airlines. Thankyou for your consideration. Sincerely,