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-->->--- n C O U5.Departmeii t o f Assistan t Secretar y }?PV^ 7 ^^nr^9nsl"n^ ' ^ ^ Itansportatio n Wash.ngton , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o.T,<x»po«a«c n ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^01 1

Mr . Matthe w T . Meador s Presiden t an dChie f

Executiv e Officer Th e Chambe r

o f Commerc e o f

Southwes t

Indian a 31 8 Mai n Street , Suit e 40 1 Evansville , I N 4770 8 Dea r Mr . Meadors : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g th e proposa l submitte db y th e Evansville-Vanderburg h Airpor t Authorit y Distric t

fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Community Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program) . Th e Secretary ha s aske dtha t

I-respon do n hi s behalf. Th e Smal l Communit y Progra mwa s establishe dt o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an dinsufficien t service. Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen t ma y us e th e fund s t o mak e amaximim i o f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e tha n four may b e t o communitie s i n th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s with latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i n ho w th e financial assistanc e may b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen t issue dan orde r

requestin g tha t

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

thi s year file thei r applications b y Augus t

2 . A s thes e gran t

request s ar e pendin g befor e th e Department , I a msur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particula r

proposal . I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l giv e full consideratio n t o al l proposal s tha t hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , 1 a mplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor do f

thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s program . I f

I ca n provid e furthe r

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l fi-ee t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary fo r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sS I 0- 1 10808-03 8

1 g^ i- ^ ^^J^^j .

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Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d,^^ , ^^.^,,,j, , ^

^ cxi^miK ^ o = Secretar y o f Transportatio n SOUTHWES T INDIAN A U.S . Departmen

t o f I ransportauo n ^^KI^^^I-^ I 40 0 7' " Street , SW. , Washingto n DC 2059 0 ' '^ ' ' •-'•• " ' ' " - ' ' Dea r Secretary * LaHood : I a mwTitin g t o expres s m

y organization' s stron g suppor t fo r th e Evansvill e Regiona

l Airport' s Small Communit y Air Serx-ic e Developmen

t Gran t (SCASDG ) funding request . Th e Chambe

r o f Commerc e o f

Southwes t

Indian ai s the larges t

busines s associatio n i

n the iri-stat e regio n ofSouthwes t

Indiana , Northwes t

Kentucky , an

dSoutheas t

Illinois . Ou r Chambe r represent s th e need s an

dinterest s o f

mor e tha n 1,60 0 member cornpanies . The tri-state regio n i s a

n economi c powerhouse : ou r region ha s annua

l retai l sale s o f

$7. 4 bilHo n dollars , contain s 10,15 4 squar e mile s o f land , whic

h make s i t larger tha n nin e states , ha s apopulatio n o f

mor e tha n 822,000 , i s hom

e t o si x U.S . Congressional districts , an dboast s mor

e tha n $24 billio n dollar s i

n persona l income . W

e are als o on e o f

the mos t importan t manufacturin g center s i

n the nation . In order to vigorousl y compete i

n th e globa

l marketplace , w e nee dyou r help . Th e Evansvill e Regiona

l Airpor t play s ake

y rol e i n connectin g ou r

regio n to th e res t

o f the nation , an dth e world . But

fo r man y years , ou

r airpor t ha s bee n saddle dwit

h hig h averag e ai r

fares . A s amatter

o f fact , Evansvill e Regiona

l Airpor t ha s th e highes t averag e ai r

fare s i n IN , I L an dKY , 40 % abov e th e regiona l averag e A s o f

th e en do f th e thir dquarter i n 2010 , Evansville' s ai r

fare s average d$22 6 eac h way , and$45 2 per roun d trip . Additionally , becaus e w e offe r n o STA RAllianc e partners , w c ofte n time s d o not sho w u p on th e internationa

l ma p fo r ou r foreig n visitors . Everyon e understand s ho w criticall y importan t a n airpor t i s to developin g acommunity' s o r region' s economy . Th e aforementione dcostly fare s seriousl y hamper ou r abilit y to develop ou

r econom y andcreate th e desirable , goo dpaying job s our citizen s nee dan

d deserve . W

e hav e made grea

t progres s in ou

r regio n i n term s o f layin g afoundation fo

r successfull y competin g in th e globa

l economy . W

e have strengthene dour

publi c schools , an dar e visin g our publi c an dprivate universitie s an

dcollege s a s economi c catalyst s an d importan t partner s to improv e our

workforce . W

e hav e enhance dour

region' s overal l qualit y o f lif e throug h amyria

do f communit

y developmen

t investments . We ar

e upgradin g our

other mean s o f movin g peopl e an

dmaterial , includin g commencin g th e constnictJo n o f

Interstate 6 9 linkin g Evansvill e t o Indianapolis , an dthe greater north

sout h internationa

l trade corrido r

connectin g the UnitedState s wit h Canad aandMexico , an dmuc h more . Bu

t frankly ^ ou r airpor t remain s awea

k link . W e are losin g busines s an dpleasure traveler s t

o other airport s du e t

o cos t an davailabilit

y factors . And companie s lookin g t

o establis h facilitie s i

n ou r region continuall y cit e th e cos t o f ai r

-:^'-,,^..^,.^^.f^m:^^r^m • 915.E , <lt*"SB».

-SIO- 1 10808-03 8

trave l ou t o f Evansville , an dth e lac k o f connectivit y t o othe r

market s a s asignifican t concern . Tl ^ Evansvill e Regiona l Airpor t naus t ac t t o turin g lowe r

fare s an dmor e option s t o th e region . Ou r

airpor t official s hav e bee n i n talk s wit h airline s withi n th e STA Rallianc e tha t upo n enti y t o ou r

marke t woul dhel p brin g dow n fare s t o ou r region , bu t

als o hel p u s t o sho w u p o n th e internationa l map . I n orde r fo r aSta r Allianc e airlin e t o tak e arisk i n launchin g servic e t o ane w cit y i n di e curren t economi c enviroiunent , i t wil l requir e a revenu e guarante e t o offse t potentia l losse s durin g th e start«u p phase . Th e SCASD G woul dprovid e th e Evansvill e Regiona l Airpor t wit h th e see dcapita l necessar y t o entic e a ne w carrie r

t o brin g ne w ai r

servic e t o ou r

market . Than k yo u fo r you r stron g consideratio n o f

th e Evansvill e Regiona l Airport' s SCASD G fundin g request . W e sincerel y hop e fo r afavorabl e decisio n fiomth e Departmen t o f Transportation , an dloo k forwar dt o partnerin g wit h yo u o n improvin g m r servic e t o ou r region , an dstrengthenin g ou r regiona l economy .

MatthewT . ^eador s Presiden t & CE O Th e Chambe r

o f Commerc e ofSouthwes t Indian a(CC S WIN ) Co : Dou g Joest , Director , Evansvill e Regiona l Airpor t Eva n Beck , Inmiediat e Pas t Chairman , CC S WI N Boar do f Director s JeffDeig , Chairman , CC S WI N Boar do f Director s Kath y Briscoe , Chairman-elect , CCSWI N Boar do f Director s Gre g Wathen , President/CEO , Economi c Developmen t Coalitio n ofSouthwes t

I N