# Q ooT-osT-n'^'i-^^q? -

a s . Departmen t "V:-::p:iif.\ilC:: . Assistan t Secretao ' ''T":'T/ZlT'^ ^ O f Transportatio n ,:_ : OPER Ai iO ' .: ^ ' ' Offic e o f th e Secretar yMA R 2 1 201 1 ofTransportatiqttl j ;;,p ; ^ q / \ .0 = 5 2

Th e Honorabl e Jos 6 R . Torre s Ramire z Representativ e for

th e Distric t

Num . 2 7 El Capitoli o Apartad o 902222 8 Sa n Juan , P R00902-222 8 Dea r Representativ e Torres : Thank yo u for you r Marc h3 lette r

regardin g assistanc e t o th e Mercedit aAirport unde r th e Essential 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 hi s availabl e for publi c viewin g a

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

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel fre e t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours , 4

iusan L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sS I 0- 1 10:^ 1 1-00 7 

## CAMARA HREPRESEhfTANTi S

Marc h3,201 1 Hon . Jos ^ "Pito " Torre s Ramirez AibpnJ M - Ainaxfuih * - C«*«« » - jmta t Db i - itn f lc* W

Mipnk n i t

I n Comitlont i J K HaOfi^iaitatieityiiOrttmiitdomuSiiiTinmitlJiavyCetmrtttOM , VMtiti a yDoanot b IJFtow , Afimta * ^ QmMnUw , Atmt M litttnM* , CMulit o CoKiim

H ftt t 1 M Mitn mPdUe v PriMt e CamaH n KegU

n Cttilnr i Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n Unite dStates Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave . S E Washington , D

C 2059 0 RE : TERMINATIO N O FEA S PROGRA M I N MERCEDIT A AIRPOR T PONCE , PUERT O RIC O Dea r Miste r LaHood : I amwritin g t o expres s m y concern abou t

th e terminatio n o

f th e subsidy given t o th e Mercedit aAirport

i n th e Cit

y o f Ponc e throug hth e Essentia l Ai r Servic e Program(EAS) . A s atrade r i n tb e soutb are ao

f th e islan dthes e will affec t directl y t o th e econom

y o f th e entir e zone , Hi e Airpor

t help s u s a s a n a dho c airport , bu t als o help s th e touris mi n th e south , east , an dcentra l are ao

f th e Island . Mercedit ai s th e fastes t wa y t o connec t

wit h Puert o Rico' s capital , Sa n Juan . I t

als o essential tha t

schedul e ai r

service , includin g bothpassenge r

an dcargo , betwee n Ponc e an dSa n Jua n continue . Puert o Ric o ha s auniqu e geographi c characteristic s an dcultura l tie s t o th e Caribbea n an dLati n America . Th e continuity o f internationa l ai r

service s fromall th e serviceabl e point s i n th e islan di s essential t o th e cultura l an deconomi c growt ho f th e region . Th e terminatio n o f th e subsidy woul dimpl y th e dismissal o f th e airport

employee s increasin g unemploymen t percentag e i n Puert o Rico . A s a n employer

an dcitize n o

f th e southregio n o

f Puert o Rico , I urg e tha t Mercedit aAirport

continu e i n th e EA

S platform . Sincerely , Jos e R . Torre s Ramire z Representativ e for

th e Distric t

Num . 2 7

E L CATITOLIO , AruTAD O 9022228 , SA N JUAN , PUEIT O RK C 00902 - 222 8 TEL K (7Ji7 i 721-732 0 * {7X7) 72S-26W • (797 ) 72l-60tOExn . 2W 9 • 2J1 2 • 223 1 - 226 5 • FM : (787)721-t55 6 TVt : (787 ) 72M1 W (787 ) 725-36 U ' EMAI U jiroMBWcAMAMADCMniESDn-ANns.otn ;