.. U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

Of Transportation 

.. The Honorable Maria Cantwell- -

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Cantwell: 

JUL 6 2012 

1200 New Jersey·Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Port of Walla Walla, the 

· Walla Walla Valley Wine'Alliance, Tourism Walla Walla, and the Walla Walla CP,~berof 

Commerce for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation'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 related to high airfares or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

ln order. to provide communities with latitude in d<;veloping solutions to the~r air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects 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 pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure ytm that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours,· 

~~ . . 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 
MARIA CANTWELL WASHINGTON 

COMMITTEES: 

COMMERCE. SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

~nited ~tates ~enate .<;. -·WASHir'tGTON, DC 20510-4705 

June 8, 2012 

Ms. Aloha Ley 

Associate Director, Small Community Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis .· · ·· 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE W86~31 0 

Washington, DC 20590 

.... 

RE: Walla Walla Regional Airport; FY 12 Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Dear Associate Director Ley, 

ENERGY AND NATURAL 

~· , RE.SOVRCES 

FINANCE. 

INDIAN AFFAIRS 

SMALL BUSINESS 

I am writing to express my support for the Small Community Air Service Development Program grant 

application submitted by the Port of Walla Walla, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, Tourism Walla 

Walla, and the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce. The application will help implement a new Walla 

Walla Airport Coalition Marketing Plan designed to ensure continued passenger growth on inbound and 

outbound Alaska Airlines (Horizon Air) flights to Walla Walla Regional Airport (ALW). A federal 

commitment will be matched with $50,000 in local funds. 

Typically, Walla Walla Regional Airport is served by two inbound and two outbound Alaska Airlines 

flights per day, with more than 32,000 tot.al boardings in 2011. Passenger numbers and load factors in the 

first quarter of 2012 indicate that total boardings for20 12 rnay surpass 2011 levels. That said, load. 

factors are not yet sufficiently high to ensure long-term continued service from Alaska Airlines- the only 

scheduled carrier currently flying into and out of ALW. Alaska Airlines has indicated that unless load 

factors are raised, it will be forced to seriously consider discontinuing scheduled service to ALW. 

Walla Walla~ Washington is geographically located near the cities of Milton-Freewater and Pendleton, 

Oregon, two additional population centers that are currently underserved by scheduled aviation 

. . service. AL W is the closest airport to both of these cities and a federal investment designed to enhance 

air service at AL W, such as that which would be provided by a successfhl award from the Small 

Community Air Service Development Program, will benefit residents of both northeast Oregon and 

southeast Washington. 

EVERETI 

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_. :RfTI. WA 98201 

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·~'lob: nttp:,,cantwell.serwte.gov 

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TACOMA 

950 PAC IF C Av·f~·UE 

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1253)572-2281 

FAX: 1253) 572 5879 

VANCOUVER 

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WASHINGTON. DC 

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.'202) 224-3441 
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. ~.:.This' project propdsal' is:·ah'excellent example ofpubli~ privat~ partnersh'ip and will help ensure the. _ •••• 

1 

It··.······· !"""• 

-- maintenance of existing jobs and the possibility of furtherjob.growth as scheduled aviation service is 

maintained and, over time, hopefully expanded further at Walla Walla Regional Airport. 

I ask you give this application your fullest consideration. 

Sincerely, ~ ~-- -

~~~ Maria Cantwell 

United States Senator 

.. 

. . . .. ....