U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Stephen E. Sheppard 

Factory Manager 

Blue Ridge Metals Corp. 

180 Mills Gap Road 

P.O. Box 189 

Fletcher, NC 28732 

Dear Mr. Sheppard: 

Assistant Secretary 

July 3, 2012 

.· 

1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE 

-. Washington. DC 20590 

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

the Asheville Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small 

Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I respond on 

his behalf. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insuffici~nt service. Under the s~tut~z the Department may make a max~mum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than 4 awards 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 flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued· ata order requesting that communities interested irt receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair 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-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
1 .• • :··, • .• • ... . ~ .• :., . ·.: ' ..... · '·, 

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Bl.rJe T<rogeiTletnls Cbup .. 180 Mills Gap Ad • PO Box 189 • Fletcher, NC 28732 • Tel (828) 687·2525 • Fax (828) 687-1651 

June 7,2012 

The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

400 J'h Street, SW Room 10200 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary LaHood: 

~-

On behalf of Blue Ridge Metals Corporation, a manufacturing organization representing 130 employees 

In the Western North Carolina area, we strongly support the Asheville Regional Airport's Small . . 

Community Air Service Development Grant, which will allow for new and Improved service In our region. 

Our region Is growing, and enhanced air service is Imperative to the economic vitality of our area. 

Quality air service aids our economy through Improved access for visitors, tourism and Is Important to 

business growth and retention. 

··-· ,~ 

Our region has a noted connection to the Denver marl<et- both from a leisure and business travel 

perspective. We know that 5% of .Inbound trav~iers come from Colo1·ado; and many more from the 

west. Also, significant business development Is occurring by Colorado and western state-based 

businesses in the Western North Carolina region. Enhanced air service to and from Denver and western 

states Is a positive fit for the direction of growth our region Is experiencing. However, we have 

experienced the foss of low-cost air carrier AirTran.-in the p~st_year, and as a r.esult, ~ave s~en airfares 

begin to rise to levels much greater than our competitors are experiencing. 

The Asheville l'legional Airport has put to'get~~r a two-fold plnn to mi.tigate the rising air fnres they are 

experiencing due to the loss of AlrTrari Airways this year. Specifically, the plan focuses first on attracting 

another low-cost air service provider to serve the Denver marl<et, and potentially additional marl<ets lost 

when AlrTran was acquired by Southwest. Second, the plan ensures that sufficient marketing wi'll occur 

to support the new low-fare carrier's succe~s in the WNC market, and Includes a focus on strengthening 

the newly formed travel advisory group~ a consortium of business leaders, economic developers and . . ' 

tourism representatives who meet quarterly· to discuss air service needs, advocacy and utilization. 

Please accept our support of the Asheville Regional Airport's grant request. 

factory Manager