## J^RARTMENTQ F IRANSPORWIO N CKETOPER/vriON S

^fc? » 

# m m OC T! 3 AS : M 

# % 0 Minnesot a Departmen t o f Transportatio n

Offic e o f A«ronaut)c s Mai l Sto p 41 0 22 2 Eas t Plat o Boulevard St . Paul . M N 56107-161 8 Ptione : 651/234-720 0 Fax : 651/234-726 1

Augus t 4 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretary , U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 40 0 Scventl t

Street , S.W . Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Dea r iVlr . Secretary : Th e Minnesot o Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Aeronautic s i s please dt o support th e applicatio n o f

th e St . Clou dRegiona l Airport for agran t unde r th e Smal l Community Air Servic e Developmen t

Program . A s o f Decembe r

31 , 2009 , Mesab aAirline s discontinue dschedule dai r servic e at

St . Cloud . Th e onl y ai r servic e remaining i s occasiona l charter s o n Su n Countr y Airlines . A n ai r servic e stud y that was part o f th e 200 6 Minnesot aAviatio n Syste mPla n foun dthat onl y abou t

11 % o f ai r traveler s fromth e S t

Clou dare awer e leavin g fromth e St . Clou dRegiona l Airport . Nearl y 90 % o f thos e traveler s wer e drivin g t o MS P for ai r service . Al l passenger s flying fromSt . Clou dha d t o make coimection s a t

MS P t o an y destinatio n beyon dMSP . Lac k o f direc t servic e t o anothe r marke t (i.e. , Chicag o o r

Denver ) has , i n ou r

opinion , contribute dt o th e leakag e see n a t St . Cloud . Havin g t o chang e airplane s a t MSP , a s oppose dt o direc t nonsto p servic e t o anothe r city/citie s make s i t les s convenien t

t o fl y ou t o f St . Cloud . Mesaba' s departur e fromth e marke t leave s St . Ck>u

dvirtuall y withou t

schedule dai r

service . A study i n 199 6 foun dthat

mor e tha n 100,00 0 airlin e ticket s wer e sol di n th e St . Clou darea , bu t tha t mos t o f thos e passenger s wer e drivin g t o MSP , a s discusse dabove . B y an y reasonabl e measure , th e St . Clou dare ai s underserved . Growin g highwa y congestio n betwee n St . Clou dan d th e Twi n Citie s make s servic e throug hMS P les s convenien t fo r S t Clou dare aresidents wh o choos e t o driv e th e 7 0 mile s t o MSP . Mn/DOT' s Offic e o f

Aeronautic s fully support s St . Cloud' s effor t to ge t St . Cloud-Chicag o servic e an dth e City' s appHcatio n for aSmal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

gran t t o assis t i n that endeavor . Siocerely , Christophe r

Ro y r Directo r Mn/DO T Offic e o f

Aeronautic s A n equa l opportunityemploye r

St . Clou d Regiona l Airpor t - Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Gron t - Augus t 201 0 

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## ')EPARTMEN TO F i RAMSPORWiO N ^ : • € TOPER/VriON S I M OC T! 3 A^ O 2 STkii-OU D



# St,etdadAie a CHAMBE R O F COMMERC E Augus t 18.201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ray I.aHoo d Secretary , U.S . IXspartincin o f Traasportaiioi i 40 0 Sevent

hStreet , S.W . Washingto n DC . 2059 0 Dea r Mr . Secretary : Th e St . Clou dAre aChambe r o f Commerc e strongl y support s th e applicatio n o f tli e St . Clou dRegional Airport

for agran t unde r th e Smal l Community Ai r Servic e Developmen I Program . O n Decembe r

31,200 9 regularl y schedule dai r servic e i n St . Clou dwa s discontinue db y Mesab aAirlines , Thcimpacttoou r busines s commimity ha s bee n severe . Busines s traveler s ar e lef

t wit hn o alternativ e t o drivin g t o MS P for ai r service . Th e inconvenienc e andadde dexpens e for

thi s drivin g le g o f

trave l i s often cite da s amajo r disadvantag e fo

r businesse s in ou r

community . I t

impact s profitability , waste s employe e tin w andth e opportunity cost s ar c high . Th e St . Clou dAre aChambe r o f Commerc e lia s bee n involve di n elYorts t o enlianc e ai r servic e i n ou r

are afor decades. W e continu e t o striv e fo r creative , innovativ e solution s fo r ou r busines s community members , give n th e critical point a t wliic hai r

servic e provider s findthemselves . Tli e Smal l Community Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Programwoul dgiv e u s th e neede d boos t t o continu e ou r

eflbrt s t o serv e ou r

busines s communil ) witl i enhance dai r service . Th e St . Clou dAre aChambe r o f Commerc e fully support s St . Cloud' s effor t t o secur e St . Clou dt o Chicag o service , an dt o secur e thi s gran t t o assis t i n that endeavor . Sincerely , Teres aRee dBohnc n Presiden t

St . Clou d Regiona l Airpor t - Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Gran t - Augus t 201 0 

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# m \ ,/r:PARTMENTO F .CisE TOPERATION S 1 % OC Tn A^

n ReaiSNa L Ainpjn T 

# X TH E PARTNERSHI P Augus t 11 , 201 0 Th e Honorabl e Ra yLaHoo d Secretar y<r

fTransportatio n U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 40 0 7* " Street , S.W . Washingto n D.C . 2059 0 Dea rSecretar yLaHood , Than k yo u fo rconsiderin g th e applicatio n o f th e St . Ctou d Regiona l Airport' s Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Program . W e ar e a metr o are a o f 100,00 0 peopl e an d a reoto n o f 200.00 0 Plu s yrit h n ^ ^hadule d ai r»ervlce . Thi s gran t wil l assis t I n fundin g ou racces s t o th e mttkina l ai rtransportatio n syste m i n a regio n tha t ha d bee n undersenw d b yNorthwest/Delt a an d sinc e Decembe r31,200 9 w e n o longe rhav e service . I n th e pas t 1 0 years , throug h reduction s b yNorthwest/Delt a Airiines , St . Clou d ha d los t 50 % o f it s total availabl e seats . A s a result , feres ha d risen b y25% . whic h mad e ai r sen/k: e t o an d fro m S L Clou d a dlfflcut t sale . Th e St . Clou d Regiona l Aiipor t ha s identifie d Chicag o O'Har e a s th e mos t travele d t o destinatio n fro m centra l Minnesota . Ou rproposa l i s uniqu e ari d ma yb e tti e firs t o f it s kin d unde rth e Smal l Commimit yAi rServk » Developmen t Program . W e Inten d t o cod e shar e wit h a m^o rcarrie rou t o f Chicag o O'Har e wit h Investment s fro m bot h th e SCAS D Progra m an d wit h th e suppor t fro m k>ca l busines s community . Acces s t o competttivet ypriced , raHabl e an d busines s frierKil yai rservic e i s essentia l t o thi s regk>n' s economk : vitalit yan d continue d growth . Th e gran t applicatto n i s a ke yan d importan t par t o f makin g thi s servk » available . Tfien k yo u fo ryou roofwkleratio n o f ou rgran t request , i t i s ver ymuc h appreciate d Sincerely , Thoma s Moore , Prssidan t St . CkMi d Are a Economk ; Developmen t Partnershi p MSatvkxSuppsf t

St . (teu d Af M tuam k

Dt«tl«piM<i l PsrlntrtMp , IM . P O Bo » 109 1 S I Cio.i D MNWm ? I'tS t HlHw e (.120 1 Z52 n, , hi . iWu i ;'D 1 OOa i

St . Clou d Regiona l Airpor t - Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Gran t - Augus t 201 0 

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