# o J:;^iW } U S . D6parfniOn f o f Assistan t Secreury . \M[i' ^ ^^-^f'^ ' •:-i20 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave. . S. E TVvinsportatlo n ',_. ; r.ri^.l.^.-' . Wasnmgto n 002059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar y o f Transportotfo n •' • • ) I A '•'•! • o'-" : 

### OCT 

### 2 2 201 0 Ms . Tamm y Mille r CEO , Borde r

State s 10 5 25' ^ Stree t

Nort h Fargo , N D 58102-400 2 Dea r Ms . Miller : TTian k yo u for you r lette r o f Septembe r

7 supportin g th e proposa l submitte db y Farg o Hecto r Internationa l Airpor t

for agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Service Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program) . I a mplease dt o respon dt o you r lette r o n behal f

o f Secretar y LaHood . Th e Smal l Communit y Progra mwa s establishe dt o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an dinsufficien t service . A tota l o f $ 7 millio n wil l b e availabl e fo r gran t award s i n Fisca l Year

2010 . Unde r

th e statute , th e Departmen t

ma y us e th e fund s t o mak e amaximu mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e tha n four ma y b e t o communitie s i n th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s with latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i n ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 30 , th e Departmen t issue da n orde r

requestin g tha t

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

thi s yea r file thei r application s b y Augus t

27 . A s thes e gran t

request s ar e pendin g befor e th e Department , I a msur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f

an y particula r

proposal . I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l giv e full consideratio n t o al l proposal s tha t hav e bee n properl y filed .A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a mplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2010-012 4 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s program . I f

I ca n provid e furthe r

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l fre e t o cal l me . incerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan d /Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair sS I 0- 1 00^ ) I-1-0 1 7 

# BORDE R STATE S

Suppl yChai n Solutions ' 105 25t h stree t Nort h Fargo , N D 58102-400 2 701.293.583 4 phon e 701.237.981 1 fa

x Septembe r 7 , 201 0 Honorabl e Raymon dH . LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S . Department

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 RE : Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e DcvelopmcQt

Gran t Dear : M r LaHood : Pleas e accep t

thi s letter a s evidenc e o f

our suppor t o f th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra mGran t whic h wil l allo w America n Airlines/American Eagl e th e opportunit y t o implemen t

non-sto p servic e betwee n Fargo' s Hecto r International Airpor

t (FAR) an dDallas/For

t Wort h (DFW) . America n Eagl e servic e t o DF

W woul dconnec t

wit h a t leas t 9 7 market s serve db

y America n an d America n Eagl e fro

mDFW . Ou r

busines s i s headquartere di n Fargo , N D an doperate s 1 5 branch location s i n Texas . Thi s adde dconnectio n vi aDallas/For t Wort h wil l significantl y reduc e travel time t o Texa s an dallo w u s t o operat e mor e efficiently i n acompetitiv e globa l environment . DF W servic e woul dprovid e singl e connection s to many market s i n th e Southwest . Man y of th e market s America

n Eagl e coul dserv e vi aDF W are adoubl e connectio n today . Frontie r recentl y discontinue dit s servic e into th e Farg o marke t leavin g th e communit

y wit h onl y tw o legac y carrie r

competitor s for

westboun dtrafHc , Unite dandDelta . A thirdcompetito r coul d hel p suppres s upwar

dfar e pressure . Th e enhance dfligh t schedul e woul dallo w u s t o mor e effectivel y execute our

busines s strateg y throug h quicker andmore efficien

t connection s no t

onl y t o other segment s o f

ou r company bu t

t o our customer s a s well . Bette r coimectivity , includin g bette r schedule s an droutes , lend s t o aleane r andmor e effectiv e busines s mode l translatin g into a healthie r botto mline . Servic e t o Dallas/Fort

h Wort h wil l b e avaluabl e contributio n to local ai r service , andwe full

y suppor t th e additio n o f

America n Eagl e non-sto p servic e betwee n Dallas/For t Wort h an dFargo . Sincerely , Tamm y Mil(e f CE O

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