# CITYO F OI L CITY OI L CITY , P A1630 1 FRO M TH E OFFIC E O F TH E MAYO R ju| y2 2 201 0

Mr . Denni s J . D e Van y Chief , Essentia l Ai rServic e Division , X-5 3 Oific e o fAviatio n Analysi s U.S . Departmen t o fTransportatio n Dea rMr . D e Vany : I a m writin g t o yo u i n suppor t o fth e Gulfstrea m Int' l Airline s proposal , Optio n On e (1) , t o provid e schedule d ai rservic e t o Franklin/Oi l Cit y(FKL ) unde rth e Essentia l Ai r Servic e program . Franklin/Oi l Cit y(FKL ) los t ai rservic e alon g wit h othe rEA S communitie s i n Ma yo f200 8 whe n th e contracte d ai rcarrie rcease d operations . Servic e wa s reinitiate d o n Septembe r3 , 200 8 wit h Gulfstrea m Int I Airline s operatin g a s Continenta l Connectio n throug h th e Continenta l Airline s hu b i n Cleveland , Ohio . Th e effort t o regai n th e trave l marke t los t du e t o th e thre e month s withou t ai r servic e i s on-goin g an d substantial . Additionally , th e natio n experience d th e wors t recessio n i n th e pas t fift y(50 ) year s almos t a s soo n a s Gulfstrea m bega n FK L service . Th e economi c"recovery " ha s bee n sporadi cnationwid e an d negligible , thu s far , i n th e Franklin/Oi l Cit yarea . Thi s region , whic h ha d bee n particularl ydevastate d eve n prio rt o 200 8 du e t o plan t closing s an d layoffs , ha s bee n workin g t o reinven t it s economy . Th e 200 8 recessio n wa s a furthe rsetback . Jus t a littl e ove ra yea rint o th e ne wai rservice , i n November , 2009 , bega n th e wors t winte ri n man yyears . December , Januaryan d Februarysa wth e ai rcarrie r cance l sixty-fiv e (65 ) FK L flight s du e t o weather . That' s twenty-on e percen t o fth e FK L flight s fo rthos e months . Additionally , th e trave l marke t wa s negativel yimpacte d i n 200 8 an d 200 9 b yth e SAR S vim s an d th e Swin e Flu . Thes e issue s reall ycause d a set-bac k fo ra fragil e marke t tha t wa s alread y shake n du e t o th e los t servic e earlie ri n th e year .

### Pag e 2 Th e communitie s o fFranklin/Oi l Cit ysuppor t Gulfstream' s Optio n # 1 servic e throug h Clevelan d an d wil l wor k closel ywit h th e Airpor

t an d Gulfstrea m throug h th e Save ou rServic e (SOS ) effor t t o improv e passenge renplanements agai n b e unde rth e $200.0 0 pe rpassenge rcap . Th e servic e offere d usin g Clevelan d as a hu b give s thi s communit ymor e non-sto p destination s an d reasonabl e connection s an d fares . Gulfstrea m has prove n t o b e ver ycustomer-consciou s an d th e Continenta l Connection/Continenta l bran d i s becomin g a favorit e i n thi s region . Th e Airpor t work s closel ywit h th e publi can d th e ai rcarrie ro n communicatio n an d custome rservic e a s wel l a s providin g a cost-fre e busines s environmen t fo rth e carrier . Thes e fact s wil l mak e th e SO S effor

t successful . Th e citizen s o fFrankli n an d Oi l Cit ya s wel l a s th e entire Oi l Heritag e Regio n wan t th e timely , dependabl e ai rservic e propose d b yGulfstrea m an d request that th e Departmen t ofTransportatio n provid e thi s chang e t o continu e th e rebuildin g o fthi s economy . Gulfstream' s Optio n 1 ca n serv e a s a hug e stimulu s t o thi s region . Th e regio n i s experiencin g th e t>eginning s ofa positive tren d i n busines s developmen t thank

s t o th e har

d wori < ofou rlegislator s an d communit

yleaders . Meaningful , schedule d ai rservic e i s a ke yelemen t i n th e succes s ofthi s venture . Thi s rura l are a shoul d b e allowe d t o compet e wit h th e large rurba n area s o n a leve l playin g field . Viabl e commercia l ai rservic e help s leve l that playin g fiel d an d i s necessar yfo r busines s developmen t an d sustaine d economi cgrowth . W e as k that yo u recommen d thi s proposa l t o th e Deput ySecretary . Than k yo u fo ryou rwori co n th e Essentia l Ai rServic e progra m o n behal f of th e communitie s ofFranklin/Oi l Cit yan d th e Oi l Region .

Ver ytrul yyours . 

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