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US.Departmeiitof Assistant Secretary ,\^°?.^7 ^^Ar^on'/or ^^ 

lyansportotlon Washington, DC 20590 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation September 9, 2011 

Mr. Christopher Roy 

Director 

Office of Aeronautics 

Minnesota Department of Transportation 

Mail Stop 410 ^ I. 

I l l East Plato Boulevard "" 

St. Paul, MN 55107-1618 

Dear Mr. Roy: 

Thank you for your letter to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the 

St. Cloud Regional Airport for a grant under the Small Community Air Service 

Development Program (Small Community Program). The Secretary has asked that I 

respond on his behalf. 

The Small Community 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 use the funds to make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four 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 provides significant flexibility in how the financial assistance 

may be used. 

On July 1, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 2. As these grant requests are 

pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on the 

merits of any particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will give 

full consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

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

DOT-OST-2011-0119 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your 

interest in this program. If I can provide further information or assistance, please feel 

free to call me. 

Sincerely yours. 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
SI 0-1 10X25-

Letters of Support 

m '•o r ,«»!» ' 

Minnesota Dttpartment of Transpo«tatlon 

Offlc* of Aeronautics 

Ma)IS!op4tO 

222 Ea« P)3»> Boutevtud 

SI P«iM.MN 55107-1618 

Phone: eSIIZM-TWO 

Fm: 651/234.7261 

July 2.5,2011 

The lionor^tc Ray UiHood 

Seercuiry. U.S. Dc^ianmcttt orTrawtportaiion 

400 Seventh Street, S.W. 

Washington, DC. 20590 

Dear Mr. S««rctary; 

The Minnesota Dei»snmeni of Tninspomiion OffHM of Aeronamtcs stq^its the 2011 

application of the St. Cloud Regional Airport for a grant uttdcr the Small Commurtity Air Service 

Deve!<^mcni Ptogmni. 

Tlic St Cloud area has been without regularly scheduled air pa!»enger iterviee since Mesnba 

Airlinen lines discontinued swrvice at the St. Cloud Regional Aii7)ort in December, 3009 The 

.2006 Minnesota Stale Aviation System Plan found titat only about 11% of air travelers from die 

Si Cloud area were u«ing Itic St. Cloud Regional Aitpml, Furthermore, all M<»sbti (lights from 

St. Cloud were routed through MSP. Having to change alritlanes at MSP, m opposed to direct 

nonstop service to anodutr cily/citics, made it inconvenient to fly out of St. Clotid and, in our 

opinion, was a nujtir reason for the leakage to MSP. 

A study In 1996 found that more than UIO.OOO airline tickets wcne sold in tlic St. Cloud area, but 

that mo« of those pasj>etiti!<nt( woe driving to MSP. as di«:u$sed above. By any reasonable 

measure, the St. Cloud area is undcrserv^l. Growing highway congestion between St. Cloud and 

the Twin Ciiic* increases the inconvenience of flying from MSP. 

MnDOT's Office of Aeronautics ftttty supports St. Cloud's elTort to restore scheduled air service 

to the St Cloud area and tltc City's ai^lication for a Small Community Air Service Development 

grant to assist in that endeavor. 

Christopher Roy 

DiKclor 

MnDOT Office of Aeronauties 

An equal opportunay omployer 

Small ComtnunJty Air Service 

Development Program 

55