## THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, DC 20590



### The Honorable Donald

## R. Mull MayorofAlcoa 

## 223 Associates Boulevard Alcoa, TN 37701 DearMayorMull: September 19,2014

Thank you for your letter supporting the application submitted by the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service DevelopmentProgram. The Small Community AirService DevelopmentProgram was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards eachyear, although no more than four may be to communities inthe sameState. To provide communities with latitude in developing solutionsto their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofair servicedevelopment projects thatcan be funded. On .June 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 31 fot applications. As these grantrequests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposaL I assure you, however, thatthe Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. As is ourstandardpractice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this responseinDocket DOT-OST-2014-0113 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate yourinterest in this program.

Anthony R. Foxx

## CITYOF ALCOA 223Associates Boulevard, Alcoa, Tennessee 37701-1948 August 22, 2014

The Honorable Anthony Foxx, Secretary United States Department ofTransportation 

### 1200 NewJersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 RE: Docket DOT-OST-2014-0113 Dear Secretary Foxx: Office: (865) 380-4795 Fax: (865) 380-4797

I am writing you to encourage the Department's approval ofthe application ofthe Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority underthe 2014 Small Community Air Service Development Grant program. Average airfares at Knoxville have historically been well-above the national average. Our high airline fares have been a burden on local business, have stymied economic development, and have forced both local and visiting leisure travelers to either drive or nottravel at all. As a governmental agency, we seek to spend as little ofthe taxpayer funds as possible when air travel is required for training, business recruitment, or meetings. When a business is looking to locate in our community, affordable airfare is a majorfactor in their decision-making process. Knoxville's grant application seeks to address this issue by increasing airline competition at McGhee Tyson Airport. If the grant application is approved, Knoxville will be able to recruit and provide startup marketing support for new low-fare airline service at our airport. The impact ofthe additional low-fare flights will be dramatic and immediate. I hope that the Department will help the entire East Tennessee region red,L.ce the c.ost of air travel for business, government, and leisure travelers by approving Knoxville's Small Community Air Service Development Grant application.

Mayor /bhs



## 510-140!!102-019 EXCELLENCEIN SERVICE- QUALITYOFLIFE www.cityoialcoa-tn.gov mayor@cityofalcoa-tn.gov