# DoT-osr - nq{.-\l ^ 

# O U.S
. Departmen t o f 120 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e oMh e Secretar y ofTnansportafio n Th e Honorabl e Stanle y Clous e ~ ' Cit y o f Kearne y , • i 1 8 Eas t 22"''St . , ::'"' ! Kearney , NE 6884 7 ,- j Dea r Mayo r Clouse : "'^

— I c 5 I woul dlike to updat e yo u o n th e essential ai r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Kearne y Regional Airport , Nort

h Platt e Regional Airport , an d Wester n Nebrask aRegional Airpor t a t Scottsbluff

, an dgiv e yo

u a n opportunit

y to offe r any comment s o n th e record befor e w e submi t arecommendatio n to 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 cuiTen

t EA S provide r a t your community , andthei r

contrac t expire s Octobe r

31 , 2010 . In anticipatio n o f that , w e issue dOrde r

2010-6-16 , Jun e 11 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s fromcarrier s intereste din providin g subsidize dEA S fo r anew , two-yea

r period , beginnin g November

1 , 2010 . I

n respons e t o our

request , tw o carrier s responded : Grea t Lake s an d Sovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . You shoul dhav e receive dacop y of th e proposal s fromeac h carrier , and the y ca n b e accesse da

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 the mhere . Grea t Lake s ha s propose don e servic e optio n fo r eac h community , eac h optio n t o b e considere do n astand-alon e basis . Servic e t o al l thre e communitie s woul d b e thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y and weeken d (1 8 aweek) fromDenve r usin g 19-sea

t Beechcraf t 190 0 aircraf

t fo r a n annual subsidy of

$1,965,74 0 a

t Kearney , $1,871,76 5 a

t Nort h Platte , an d$1,507,18 5 a t Scottsbluff

. Sovereig n Ai r

ha s propose dfo

r eac h communit

y thre e roun d trip s Tuesday throug h Saturday , an dtw o roun dtrip s o n Sunday an d Monday , fo r atotal of 1 8 roun d trip s a wee k t o Denver

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 cunentl 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 t o provid e schedule d ai r service , althoug h i

t ha s submitte d applications . Th e schedule s tha

t th e carrier s hav e propose d are illustrativ e onl y and the y ma y mak e schedul e change s to reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o better meet shiftin g connectin g

### I -2 -

ban k time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t doe s expec t

asubsidize d air

carrie r t o maintai n well-time dandwell-space d flight s in 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 any comment s you ma

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

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

arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r adecision . Letter s requestin g feedbac k

hav e als o been sen t

t o th e community leader s o f th e othe r tw o citie s as well . Pleas e sen dyour

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

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t

Michae l Marti n of

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

Denni s J . Devany , Chie f Essential 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 .