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November 18, 2011 

Dennis DeVany 

US Department of Transportation 

DearDenriis: 

Thanl< you for tfie opportunity to respond to the Great Lakes Airlines proposal to provide 

service to the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport under EAS. We feel fortunate to be eligible 

for the subsidy, but disappointed that we have to receive it after over 65 years of successful 

cgmmercial service without a subsidy. 

We do, however, have a number of concerns regarding the proposal and request that you 

consider them seriously and assist us in resolving the issues as we move fon/vard. 

1. Aircraft type: The Beech 1900 being proposed is a major step backward from the Saab 

340 which has serviced us for many years and the CRJ 200 which has just recently been 

servicing us. The 19O0's lack of a restroom, flight attendant and baggage capacity are 

obstacles to encouraging passenger utilization. 

2. Accessibility: The Brainerd Lakes Area has over 600 lakes and thousands of what were 

once summer cabins which have now been converted to year-round homes. Literally 

tljousands of retiring baby boomers will be coming "home" frorii all across the country, 

hopefully with the disposable income to travel for leisure or family. That aging population 

will have increasing mobility issues and is the driving force for our terminal remodel project 

and the addition of a jet bridge. Unfortunately, the Beech 1900 will only ground board, both 

here and at MSP. That is something we clearly hoped to get rid of and our traveling public 

was looking forward to. 

3. Scheduling: I know that every community wants an early morning departure and a late 

night/overnight arrival. That is extremely important to the business clientele and critical for 

the Airport's survival. Our past performances would indicate that one 19 seater for morning 

1 6384 AIRPORT ROAD • SUITES • BRAINERD, MN 56401 PHONE: 218-825-21 66 • EAX: 218-825-2186 

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Dennis DeVany 

November 18, 2011 

Page Two 

departure would not be adequate so scheduling a second would be very critical. I know this 

is an issue we will have to work out with the airline, but I feel it is important that you are 

aware of this concern and are willing to lend what assistance you can or help us encourage 

larger aircraft. 

4. Ticketing and baggage handling: It is ess6n^rtt)^t an interline agreement is in place 

with Delta that allows for flow through baggage Ti^nelling and ticketing to the final 

destination. Passengers will not support separate ticketing procedures or having to go in 

and out of Airport security. Ticket pricing is also a major concern as most travel decisions 

are made based on bottom line dollar costs. 

5. Financial stability: Although the EAS program has been around for close to 40 years, it is 

receiving much more attention today than in the past. The future of the program is certainly 

contentious to say the least. Great Lakes is very reliant on EAS subsidy dollars and their 

future would appear to be questionable if the program were to go away. What protections 

are afforded to the community in the event of program loss or Great Lakes own financial 

viability? 

Finally, we need to be assured that the airline has the capacity and ability to adjust for our 

seasonal fluctuations. Summer is an important time in the Lakes Area. 

On behalf of the Airport Commission and myself, thank you for giving consideration to 

these concerns. 1 appreciate the difficult task you have with 24 communities at one time all 

wanting the same things. With your assistance, we will do our utmost to nTake this work. 

Sincerely, 

Steve D. Slevek 

Airport Manager 

rm 

cc: The Honorable Amy Klobuchar 

The Honorable Al Franken 

The Honorable Chip Cravaack