U.S.Departmentof Transportation OfficeoftheSecretary ofTransportation



### The Honorable Leonard L. Boswell U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Boswell: 

## JUL 

## 52012 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Sioux Gateway 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 related to high airfares or insufficient service. Underthe statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities inthe same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude indeveloping solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statuteprovides flexibility in the types ofprojectsthat canbe funded. OnMay 15, the Departmentissued an orderrequesting that communities interested inreceiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment onthe merits ofany particularproposaL I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have beenproperly 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,

# ff~ Aloha Ley Associate Director Small Community Program

# ....... ______________

LEONARD L. BOSWELL 3rd DISTRICT,IOWA
OFFICES: 1026lONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515 (202) 225-3806 300 EAST LOCUST STREET SUITE 320 Des MOINES, lA 50309

(515)282-1909 TOLL FREE IOWA NUMBER 1--BSB-432-1984 http://boswell.house.gov

Ms. Aloha Ley

## C!Congre~~ 

# oftbt 

# llntteb**~tates ~ou~r**  

## nf**l\tprr~rntattbr~** 

### mtal)f)ingtnn. iJ)(( 

### 20515-1503
June 12, 2012

Associate Director, Small Community Program Office ofAviation Analysis 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE W86-310 Washington, DC 20590 Subject: Small Community Air Service Development Program Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 City ofSioux City, lA- Sioux Gateway Airport Dear Ms. Ley, COMMilTEES: AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMIITEE ON GENERAL fARM COMMOOmES AND RISK MANAGEME>IT SUBCOMMITTEE ON LIVESTOCK, DAIRY AND POULTRY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMmEE ON HIGHWAYS ANOTRANSIT SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION

I strongly support the air service proposal detailed in the City ofSioux City's Small Community Air Service Development Program grant application. In April 2012, American Airlines became the subsidized Essential Air Service carrier for the Sioux Gateway Airport by initiating service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. I fully support the need for Essential Air Service at the Sioux Gateway Airport, and this Small Community Air Service Development Program grant will be an important support mechanism for the air service to help ensure the successful transition to American Airlines and service to Chicago O'Hare. It is my hope that you will give the City ofSioux City's application full consideration and award the funds requested to ensure the success ofAmerican Airlines in the Sioux City market. Sincerely,

Leonard L. Boswell Member ofCongress 

# •