THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, DC 20590 

The Honorable Donald R. Mull 

Mayorof Alcoa 

223 Associates Boulevard 

Alcoa, TN 3 7701 

Dear Mayor Mull: 

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 Development Program. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program 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 of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four may be to communities in the same State. To 

provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the 

statute provides flexibility in the types of air service development projects that can be funded. 

On .June 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 31 fot applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any 

particular proposaL I assure you, however, that the Department will give full and fair 

consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT -OST-2014-0113 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Anthony R. Foxx 
CITY OF ALCOA 

223 Associates Boulevard, Alcoa, Tennessee 37701-1948 

August 22, 2014 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx, Secretary 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey 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 of the application of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority under the 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 not travel at all. As a governmental agency, we seek 

to spend as little of the 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 

major factor 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 of the 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 

EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE- QUALITY OF LIFE 

www.cityoialcoa-tn.gov 

mayor@cityofalcoa-tn.gov