o 

ULS. DepartfiMffit of 

Thintportatlon 

Office of ttie Secfefory 

of Transportation 

Assistant Secretary 

OCT 2 2 2010 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, 5E 

Washington, DC 2059 0 

Mr. C. Edward Young 

Director 

Division of Aviation 

Dwight D. Eisenhower State Office Building 

700 S.W. Harrison Street 

Topeka,KS 66603-3745 

Dear Mr. Young: 

Thank you for your letter of September 22 supporting the proposal submitted by the 

Manhattan Regional Airport for a grant under the Small Community Air Service 

Development Program (Small Community Program). I am pleased to respond to your 

letter on behalf of Secretary LaHood. 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air 

service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. A 

total of $7 million will be available for grant awards in Fiscal Year 2010. 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 30, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 27. As these grant requests 

are pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that 1 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 properiy filed. 
As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2010-0124 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your 

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

free to call me. 

Sincerely yours. 

Ari'V/^san L. Kurland 

f j Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
KANSAS 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

SI (I-100020-0 IN 

Mark Parkinson, Governor 

De6 Miller, Secretary 

http://wvi/w. ksdot.org 

22 September 2010 

Secretary Ray LaHood 

\JS. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Small Communities Airport Development Grant Program 

Dear Secretary LaHood, • • =-*' '-^' '-'•''• '• 

Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK) recently submitted a grant application under the Small Community 

Air Service Development program. I am writing to strongly urge you to favorably consider Manhattan's 

application. The funds awarded by this grant would promote the use of the MHK. The use of the airport 

not only guarantees a strong regional airport, but also reduces the highway travel time for air travelers 

from the region and reduces congestion Issues into thti^nsas City metropolitan area. Placing air 

travelers In airplanes closer to their or^ln and destination reduces the risks of highway travel. 

The Manhattan Regional Airport serves an expanding area of the state that is home to many important 

Kansas Institutions. Kansas State University, located in Manhattan, is an internationally recognized 

research Institution. The National Bto and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) is well under way in Manhattan. 

The airport also serves the needs of the U.S. Army Installation at Fort Riley. 

This grant will fund the Implementation of a strategic marketing plan. The Federal Aviation 

Adrolnistratk>n has Invested millions of dollars in Infrastructure at MHK in recent years. This grant will 

effectively leverage that public investment by making full use of the facilities and services available, 

encouraging private Investment. 

We hope that the Department of Transportation will take advantage of this opportunity to buiki on the 

progress made by the FAA at MHK. 

C. Edward Young 

Director 

Cc: Peter Van Kuren, Manhattan Regional Airport 

. DIVISION OF AVIATION 

C. Edward Young, Director 

Dwjght D. Eisenhower State Office Building 

700 S.W. Harrison Street; Topeka, KS 66603-3745 - (785)^96-2553 • Fv^: (785) 296-3S33' 

Hearing Impaired-711 * e-mail: publicinfb^ksdot.or^ * Public Acceas-at North Entrance of Building