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US . Departmen t o f Ttansportotlo n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Assistan t Secreijr y 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Av e S E Wjshmgron , D C 2059 0 

### OCT 

### 2 2 201 0 Mr . Steve n B . Dewal d Chie f Financia l Office r RD O Equipmen t

Co . P.O . Bo x 716 0 70 0 Sout h 7 * Stree t Fargo , N D 58106-716 0 - • t i'... > 

### Dea r Mr . Dewald : Than k yo u for you r lette r o f Septembe r

3 supportin g th e proposa l submitte db y Farg o Hecto r Internationa l Airpor t

for agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program) . I a mplease dt o respon dt o you r lette r o n behal f

o f Secretar y LaHood . 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 . A tota l o f $ 7 millio n wil l b e availabl e for gran t award s i n Fisca l Yea

r 2010 . Unde r

th e statute , th e Departmen t

ma y us e th e fund s t o mak e amaximu mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e tha n fou r ma y 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 financia l assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 30 , th e Departmen t issue da n orde r requestin g that

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

this yea r fil e thei r application s b y Augus t

27 . 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 , that th e Departmen t

wil l giv e ful l 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 , I a mplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2010-012 4 a s acontac t outsid e 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 feel fre e t o cal l me .

f/j^usa n L . Kurlan d ^Assistan t

Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sSI0-1009 1 3-02 1

EQUJPA^EN T CO . Septembe r 3,201 0 R£ : Smal l Commanit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Gran t Honorabl e Raymon dH . LaHoo d Sectetai y o f

Transportatio n U.S . Department

o f Transportatio n 1200 New Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dear : Mr . LaHood : RD O Equipment

Co . woul dlik e t o expres s ou r suppor t o f th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra mGrant whic h wil l allo w America n Airlines/America

n Eagl e th e opportunit

y t o implemen

t non-sto p servic e between Fargo* s Hecto r International Airpor

t (FAR ) an dDallasyTor

t Wort h (DEW) . Our compan y whic h i s headquartere di n Fargo , N D ha s domesti c operation s i n nin e state s wit h asignifican

t operatio n throughou t

central Texas . A direc t

connectio n t o DF

W woul deliminat e aconnectio n tha t i s require dtoda

y savin g bot

h tim e an dm<mey . America n Eagl e servic e t o DF

W woul dconnec t

wit h a t leas t 9 7 market s serve db y America n an dAmerica

n Eagle &o mDFW . A s ou r

busines s operate s o n anational an dinternational scale , thi s adde dconnectio n vi a Dallas/For t Wort h wil l allo w u s t o operat e more efUdentl y i n acompetitiv e globa l environment . Ou r compan y ha s agloba

l reac h i n term s o f company locations , customer s an dsuppliers , an da n adde d connectio n woul dallo w u s t o d o busines s mor e effectively . DF

W servic e woul dprovid e singl e connection s t o man y market s i n th e Southwest , Mexico , andother destination s i n Lati n America . Many o f th e market s America n Eagl e coul dserv e vi aDF W ar e adoubl e coimectio n today . A Dalla s cormectio n woul db e a muc h utilize dservice . Frontie r recentl y discontinue dit s servic e into th e Farg o market leavin g th e communit

y wit h only tw o legac y carrie r competitor s fo r

westboun dtraffic . Unite dan dDelta . A thirdcompetito r coul dhel p suppres s upwar d &r e pressure . Th e enhance dfligh t schedul e woul dallo w u s t o more effectively execute ou r busines s strateg y throug h quicker

more efficien

t coimection s no t

onl y t o othe r

segment s o f

ou r company but

t o ou r customer s a s well . Bette r

coimectivity , includin g bette r schedule s an droutes , lend s t o aleaner andmor e effective busines s mode l translatin g int o ahealthie r botto mIme . Servic e t o Dallas/FcHt

h Wort h wil l b e avaluabl e contributio n t o local ai r service , an dw e full

y suppor t th e additio n o f

America n Eagl e non-sto p servic e betwee n Dallas/For t Wort h an dFargo . Sincerely , Stevcav . ETewal

d Chie f Financia l Office r c.c . Gar y Foss , AM RRegional Netwoi k

P.O . 80x716 0 • 70 0 Sout h 7t h Stree t • Fargo . N D 58106-716 0

70 1 ••239-873 0 p h • 7C1-239-875 2 la x www . rd o 6quipm9nt.co m