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U. S DeDartmen t • : l ' --JRI.'AH'- i : Assistan t Secretar y 1200Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E ofnansportation ; ,;:;:fGrRrAliCr ^ Washington,DC2059 0 Office of th e Secretar

y MAR « ) 1 on u o f Transportatio n ^

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Albert o J . Torruell a Executiv e Vic e Presiden t & Secretar y Destileri' aSerrallds , Inc . Bo x 19 8 Mercedita , Puert o Ric o 00715-019 8 Dea r Mr , Torruella : Thank yo u fo r you r Februar y 1 8 lette r

regardin g assistanc e t o th e Mercedit aAirport unde r th e Essentia l Ai r

Servic e (EAS ) program . A s yo u probabl y know , Ponc e ha s formall y appeale dth e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportation' s decisio n t o rel y o n JetBlue' s subsidy-fre e servic e t o th e mainlan dan dno t

t o rene w Cap e Air' s EA S contract . W e ar e currentl y evaluatin g th e merit s o f th e community' s appeal . A s i s norma l practice , w e ar e placin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n th e Docket , whic h i s availabl e fo r publi c viewin g a

t www.regulations.go v b y enterin g DOT-OST-1999-659 2 i n th e searc h field. I f I can provid e furthe r

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fi-ee t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours . 

# K ^uSa n L . Kiirlan d

. .ssistan t Secretar y for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sS I 0- 1 lo;^()X-()f) 5

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## Destileri aSerralles , Inc . Albert o J . Tomell a Executiv e Vic e Presiden t

& Secretar y Febmar y 18 , 201 1



# i Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Departmen

t of Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave . S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Mr, LaHood : W e hav e been informe dtha

t th e Essentia

l Air Servic e Progra

mo f th e U.S . Transportatio n Dept . i s considerin g t o discontinu e it s existin g suppor t of th e Mercedit aAirpor

t locateda t Ponce . Puerto Rico . Th e ai r servic e currentl y provide db y Cap e Air an dJe t Blu e t o thi s airport , an dindee dth e niecessit y t o receiv e increase dairlin e service s b y th e communitie s locate di n th e Sout h Coias t of Puerto Ric o ar

e wel l know n becaus e havin g t o reac h th e existin g transportatio n hu b provide db y th e Lui s Muno z Mari n Airpor t locate di n Sa n Juan is , of

course , difficul

t an dcosdy fo

r th e more disadvantage dcommunitie s which resid e i n th e Sout

h Coas t o f Puert o Rico , a s wel l a s for

Puert o Rican s wh o resid e i n th e U.S . mainlan dan

ddesire to visit thei r familie s locate di

n thes e areas . I

n fac t w e abread

y experience dth e suspensio n o f air service s some tim e ag o b y Continenta l Air Line s followin g th e los s o f existin g governmenta

l supports . Th e threa t of losin g th e smal l amount of remaining ai r

service s wil l als o seriousl y jeopardiz e existin g effort s t o brin g t o Ponc e an dits surroundin g are ath e benefit s o f increase dtouris t

activit y t o th e detriment

of the loca l hotel s an dparadore s (smal l touris t hotels) . Thi s i s o f

particula r necessit y du e to th e recent

decreas e i

n hote l occupanc y brough t abou t b y th e recent

recession whic h ha s been affectin g Puert o Ric o fo r aperio d o f a t leas t fou r year s an dwhos e detrimenta l effect s hav e onl y recentl y show n small sign s o f improvement . Needles s t o sa

y decrease deconomi c activit y i n Puerto Ric o wil l onl y leadt o a n increas e of Puert o Rica n emigratio n to th e continenta l U.S . i n searc h o

f job s which ar

e no t availabl e here . We are sure tha t thi s i s not intende db y th e Federa

l Government .

BO X 198 . MERCEDITA , PUERT O RIC O 00715-0198-TE L (787 ) 840-1000/FA X (787)840-115 5 WWW.IX)NQ.COMS I 0- 1 l()3()N'()6 5

Honorabl e Ra y L aHoo d Pag e 2 Februar y 18,201 1

A s one of th e principal employer s i n th e Sout

h Coas t o f Puerto Rico , w e urg e yo u to increas e your

suppor t o f th e Mercedit aAirpor

t i n orde r t o creat e muc h neede dadditiona l ai r servic e t o ou

r locality , thu s contributin g t o ou r effort s t o industrializ e Puerto Ric o an d provide job s i

n thi s sector . Cordially , DESTILERI A SERRALLES , INC . an dsubsidiary , SERRALLE S HOTEL , INC . (owner s o f

PONC E HILTO N HOTEL )

c j c : Hon . Victor

Vassall o