U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary OfTransportation ,.



### The Honorable Robert J. Wittman U.S. House ofRepresentatives · · Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Wittman: 

## JUL 

## 62012 - .**~:·**..**~** .. 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Newport-News/Williamsburg International Airport for

# a grant underthe 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 airservice deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4awards 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**provid~s** 

### flexibility in the types**~fprojects** 

### 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 ofany particular proposal. I assure you 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 ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

# ~· AlohaLey

# ~ , · Associate Director Small Community Program



# .........-----------ROBERT J. WITTMAN lsr DISTRICT,**VrRGJNI~** HOUSE r.\RMEO SERVICES OOMMITTEE G-.tRS!•

... Hr .o.No**rnvF~**n ;I\ rrol\is S1**~nc0.\·1MrTn:r:, Oi~IRMAN**  SEAPOWEA AI'JD PROJEC7101'l FORCES SuecoMI\tlfTEE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES FISHERI!:S. WrLDUFE, OCEANS, M.JD**lr-~suLAA** AFFAIRS SuscOfi..1MrTIEE CO-CHAIR, CONGRESSIONAL

SHIPBUILDING CAUCUS

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Ms. Aloha Ley . '

. .

### ... . .... . ·. ·. . 

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## iff, 1!\eprcnentatiues 1!1!fas4ingtnn. 1lJQt 20515-4601 June 8, 2012

Associate Director Department ofTransportation Small Community Program, W86-310 1200 NewJersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590-0001 Dear Ms. Ley: WASHINGTON OFf-ICE 1317 lorJGWOR fH HOUSE OFFICE Bu11 DING W>\SHINGfON, DC 205'15 (202) 225-4261
DISTRIC f OFFICES: FkEOERICKSUUAG OFFICE 3504 PLAt·JK RoAD, Sum' 203 FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22407 {540) 548-1086 PENINSULA OFFICE 4904-9 GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL HrGHVVA y YoRKTOWN, VA 23692

(757) 874-6687 MIDDLE PENINSUlA OFFICE GOB CHURCH lANE TAPPAHANNOCK, VA 22560 (804) 443-0668

I am writing to express my interest in the application submitted by the NewportNews/Williamsburg International Airport (P_HF) for funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. According to the· Newport-News/\\Zilliamsburg International Airport, the funding would be used to help replace over I,000 daily departing seats lost when AirTran discontinued service after the Southwest Airlines Merger was approved by the Depatiment ofJustice. The loss ofseat capacity has resulted in a significant loss ofbusiness. Jobs have been eliminated and the economic impact in the area has been significant. The grant program has helped many airpmis and cottmiurritiesjumpstat1their efforts. · ;> Please give all possible consideration to the grant application submitted by the the Newport-News/Williamsburg International Airport and do not hesitate to contact my office at 804-443-0668 with any questions you may have.
With kind regards, I remain Sincerely,

RJW: tcj



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