U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

SEP 11 2014 

Ms. Susan Whitaker 

Commissioner 

Assistant Secretary 

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development 

Tennessee Tower Building, 25th Floor 

312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue 

Nashville, TN 37243 

Dear Ms. Whitaker: 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington. DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by the 

Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority for a grant under the U.S. Department of 

Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. Secretary Foxx asked 

that I respond to you on his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and 

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

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

provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the 

statute provides flexibility in the types of air service development projects that can be funded. 

On June 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 31 for applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any 

particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will give full and fair 

consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

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

DOT -OST -2014-0113 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

(i/liJZ;;J/ 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
TENNESSEE DEPARTJ\tlENT OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT 

WILLIAM 8NODGRASSfrENNESSEE TOWER BUILDING, 25TH FLOOR, 312 ROSA l. PARKS AVENUE, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37243 

615-741-9001 

SUSAN HINCHCLIFF WHITAKER 

COMMISSIONER 

August 20, 2014 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey A venue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Docket DOT-OST-2014-0113 

Dear Secretary F oxx: 

BILL HASLAM 

GOVERNOR 

I am writing you to encourage the Department's approval of the application of the Metropolitan Knoxville 

Airport Authority and the Competitive Airfare Partnership under the 2014 Small Community Air Service 

Development Grant program. 

Average airfares at Knoxville have historically been well-above the national average. These high airline 

fares have been a burden on local business, have stymied economic development, and have forced both 

local and visiting leisure travelers to either drive or not travel at all. Knoxville's grant application seeks to 

address this issue by increasing airline competition at McGhee Tyson Airport. If the grant application is 

approved, Knoxville will be able to recruit and provide startup marketing support for new low-fare airline 

service at our airport. The impact of the additional low-fare flights will be dramatic and immediate. 

Tourism is one of Tennessee's largest industries. Lower airfares will help make East Tennessee morecompetitive with other major tourism destinations, and will allow more visitors to come experience our 

beautiful area. The economic impact of tourism growth will benefit all segments of the local economy. 

I hope that the Department will help the entire East Tennessee region reduce the cost of air travel for 

business and leisure travelers by approving Knoxville's Small Community Air Service Development 

Grant application. 

Sin7, 

~~rt- Susan Whitaker 

www.T.'lvm:ation.com