Martin, Michael (OST) 

From: 

Sent: 

Jaime Schmeiser <jaime@powellchamber.org> 

Wednesday, March 06, 2013 6:36 PM 

To: Martin, Michael (OST) 

Cc: bobh@flyyra.com 

Subject: Letter of Support 

Hard Copy will be sent via regular mail 3/7/13 

March 5, 2013 

Michael Martin 

United States Department of Transportation 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

Essential Air Service Program 

Washington, D.C. 

Dear Mr. Martin: 

We appreciate the opportunity to express our support for SkyWest Airlines' proposal to provide essential air 

service to Cody, Wyoming, which services all of Park County and the surrounding Big Horn Basin community. 

As you may be aware, our local community is served by the Cody Yellowstone Air Improvement Resources 

organization {CYAIR}, a collection of local government officials and business leaders interested in enhancing air 

service to our community and working collaboratively to plan for our community's future air service 

needs. CYAIR convened its membership to consider the SkyWest proposal and to offer support for the 

proposal in a united voice. Adding our voice to CYAIR, this letter serves as a neighboring community response 

to the EAS Proposal . 

Powell, the second largest city in Park County, along with the city of Cody, has enjoyed a long relationship with 

SkyWest and Delta going back to 1994. Many of our residents have a great loyalty to the carrier due to its hub 

in Salt Lake City. This hub is importan~ to so many in our community because it provides for advanced medical 

services, educational and religious opportunities. It has also played a key role in Cody and Park County having 

year round, stable and reliable air service in the past. Losing this connection would be extremely detrimental 

to many people in our region. 

Park County has strong tourism attractions, and businesses that rely on air service as a means to conduct their 

enterprises. Recent growth throughout Park County businesses can trace its' source, in no small part, to 

having these critical air service connections. Additionally, air service is one of our leading business 

recruitment tools and key to our economic success. 

The potential loss of the connection to the Salt Lake hub also threatens our ability to maintain quality 

competition in the market and as a result, competitive fares and schedules. The SkyWest proposal creates an 

equal playing field with the other air service available in the community. SkyWest's inclusion of jet service and 

a schedule that enables good east/west connections at the hub, will ensure that passenger targets will be met 

and allow us to continue growing the users in this market area. 

In December of 2010, Yellowstone Regional Airport opened a new $12 million dollar terminal in Cody, which 

since then, has made great strides in the growing use of the airport, and has had record number of 

enplanements. We believe that commercial air service will continue to grow in our region. Awarding SkyWest 

the Essential Air Service contract will allow us to continue our work in creating passenger demand and 

establish a market base which will operate independent of subsidy programs. 

1 
We add our collective voice to Cody, Park County and the Big Horn Basin and strongly encourage you to 

support the SkyWest proposal. 

Sincerely, 

Don E. Hillman, Mayor of Powell 

Jaime Schmeiser, Executive Director 

Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce 

Rowene Weems, Director/Curator 

Homesteader Museum 

Jaime Schmeiser, Executive Director 

Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce 

111 S. Day St. 

Powell, WY 82435 

307-754-3494 

Anna Sapp, Executive Director 

Powell Economic Partnership, Inc. 

Steve Leger, Executive Director 

Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation 

2