### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC 20590



### The Honorable Roger F. Wicker United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Wicker: July 17, 2012



### Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues relatedto highairfares or insufficient service. Underthe statute, the Depart.ment may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pendingbefore the Department, Icannot comment onthe merits ofany particular proposaL I assure you thatthe Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. As is our normal practice; I am placing a ofyour letter and this respon DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact t 

### e t 

### e record ofthis matter. I ap te yourinterest in this program.

. i. ROGER F. WICKER MISSISSIPPI ARMED SERVICES BANKING. I·IOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMERCE. SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION VETERANS' AFFAIRS

The Honorable Ray LaHood WASHINGTON, DC 20510

June 5, 2012
Secretary, U.S. Department ofTransportation 400 Seventh Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20590-0001
Dear Ray, SUITE 555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFfiCE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20510 i202l**224-&2~3 \\IVNI.WiC~Qf.S(f(t.Oie.f)OV** 

Iwould like to express my support for Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT)'s application for a Small CommunityAir Service DevelopmentProgram Grant. Funding from the U.S. Department ofTransportation in the amount of$950,000 will help to restore vital air service between Gulfport and key Floridalocations. Leisure and business customers from these markets are crucial to the recovery and sustainabilityofthe Mississippi GulfCoast economy.

· My·state has beendeeply impacted inpastyears by Hun·icane Katrina and the Gulfof Mexico oil spill as well as thenationwide financial downtum. The loss ofOPT's only low-cost air carrierin2011 and decreasing airline competition also have contributed to a loss ofrevenue for the region's tourism industry. The Small Community Air Service Development Program is critical to providing a 

### link between Mississippi and the targeted Floridamarket. · I hope that you will give Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport's application every consideration. Should additional information be**requir~d** from my office, please contactBevin Wilkinson· ofniystaffat (228) 604-2383. · With best wishes, I am

RFW/BW

501 EAST CounT Srncer, SUITe 3,500**J~r.KSl1N,** MS 39201 1601) 965-4U44 

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