## CHAUTAUQU A COUNT Y OFFIC E O F TH E COUNT Y EXECUTIV E Cerac e Offic e Buildin g • 3 N
. Eri e St
. • Mayville , N Y 14757-100 7 (716 ) 753-421 1 • FA

X (716 ) 753-475 6 • EdwardsG@co.chauJauqu a n y u s GREGOR

Y J
. EDWARD S www.co.chautauqua.ny.u s Count y Executiv e Jul y 25,201 0 Mr
. Denni s J
. DeVan y Chief , Essential ai r

Servic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s U S Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D.C
. 2059 0 Dea r Mr
. DeVaney : I n respons e t o you r

lette r o f Jul y 8,2010 , pleas e conside r thi s lette r a s Chautauqu a County

- Jamestow n Airport' s comment s o n th e servic e an dsubsid y proposal s for Essentia l Ai r

Servic e t o ou r

community
. Chautauqu aCount y support s th e EA S bi dfromGulfstreamInternationa l Airline s t o continu e thei r

servic e t o th e Clevelan dHopkin s airport fro mou r community an dfro

m Bradford , PA
. W e fully realiz e th e disparit y i n th e bi damount s quote db y Gulfstrea m International Airline s an dCharte r Ai r Transport
. However , w e feel th e difference s betwee n th e tw o proposal s strongl y favo r allowin g u s t o continu e th e effort s w e hav e employe dove r

th e pas t tw o year s t o re-establis h Chautauqu aCount y Airport a s aviabl e optio n fo r passenge r

entry int o th e nationa l airspac e syste m I n January , 200 8 Colgan Airline s change dthei r EA S servic e a s aUSAirway s commute r wit h servic e t o Pittsburg h t o bein g aUnite dExpres s commute r wit h servic e t o Washington' s Dulle s Airport
. Th e reliabilit y o f tha t servic e dramaticall y declined , takin g wit h i t man y year s o f

community effort s t o buil dtrus t an dconfidenc e i n th e ai r carrie r servin g Chautauqu aCounty
. Te n month s later , Gulfstirea mInternationa l Airline s wo n th e EA S bid , resultin g i n ane w allianc e (Continenta l Airlines ) an dane w destinatio n (Cleveland)
. Again , w e wer e place dint o asituatio n o f havin g t o re-marke t

an dre educat e th e travellin g publi c a s t o th e benefit s associate dwit h ane w carrie r

servin g a ne w city
. Fortunately , Gulfstreamha s bee n abl e t o delive r everythin g the y promise dove r th e pas t 2 1 months , providin g outstandin g reliability an don-tim e operations
. I n th e even t Charte r Ai r Transport

wer e t o b e selecte da s th e EA S carrie r servin g ou r

community , w e woul db e face dwit

h havin g t o battl e th e negativ e issue s that woul dresul t

fro mhavin g thre e different

airline s servin g four

differen t destination s i n les s tha

n 2 V i years . Mos t

o r al l o f th e marketin g effort s w e hav e expende dove r th e pas t tw o year s toutin g th e benefit s c;. jofou r airlin e servic e to asignifican t hub airpor

t wit h ove r 30 0 dail y departure s to more tha n 8 5 citie s woul dbecom e useless
. Th e benefit s o f th e cod e shar e Gulfstrea

mha s wit h Continental Airlines , on e o f th e world' s premie r

airlines , woul db e lost
. Althoug h th e EA S proposal b y Charte r Ai r Transpor t i s $197,94 6 les s tha

n Gulfstream' s bid , i t als o ha s 33 % fewe

r flight s utilizin g aircraf

t wit h th e sam e seatin g configuration
. Thi s i s asignifican t

concern to us , a s w e fee

l i t i s extremel y importan t

to offe r a s many departur e andarriva l time s a s feasibl e i n orde r t o attrac t th e maximu mnumber

o f pa.ssengers . Researc h an ddiscussion s wit h othe r EA S communitie s ha s defmitel y establishe dapatter

n tha t show s increase denplancment s resul t fro mincrease dMigh

t frequency , wherea s reducin g dail y tlight s dramaticall y deercasesth c enplanemetus
. Th e additional 7 weekl y fliglits include di n Gulfstream' s bi dar e ver y importan t

to us . Afte r meetin g wit

h th e principal officer s o f Charte r Ai r Transport

a t thei r offic e i n Cleveland , w e learne dtha t althoug h thei r

intention s ar e admirabl e andthei r confidenc e i

n thei r busines s plan i s exceptional , th e uncertainty o f thei r interlin e agreement s wit

h other carrier s an dthei r

incomplet e baggag e transfer pla n make s i t ver y difficult fo r u s t o recommen dthe y b e chose n a s ou r EA S carrier
. I

n orde r fo r u s t o endors e o r

recommen d thei r selection , w e woul dhav e to a.ssum e tha t thei r a s ye t t o b e detcnnine dsolutio n i s viabl e an dwil l work
. A

t thi s time , that' s arisk

w e don' t fee l w e ca n take
. A s acommunity , w e sincerel y hop e tha t th e effort s w e hav e expende dt o help establis h saf e andreliabl e ai r

transportatio n t o an dfro

mClevelan dHopkin s Airpor t w e b e allowe d to continue
. W e .suppor

t Gulfstrea mInternational Airlines ' bi dt o continu e to provid e Essentia l Ai r Servic e fo

r resident s an dvisitor s t

o Chautauqu aCounty
. SiKccrely , -- . > ^ Gregorys
. Edw^F<t

e CBaukuqu aCount

y Executiv e