### U.S. Department ofTransportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation



### The Honorable Susan C. Fisher



## . N.C. House ofRepresentatives



## 16 W.Jones"Street, Room 

## -1013 Raleigh, 

## NC 27601 DearMs. Fisher: Assistant Secretary 

## July 3, 2012 ...... 1200 NewJersey Avenue. SE Washington, DC 20590



## Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the Asheville Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department**ofTransportati~n~s** 

### Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that**rr~spond** 

### on his behalf. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May 1 

## 5, the Department issued an orderrequesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. l 

### assure y.ow-that the

.Department 

## will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly tiled. As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069**as~** 

### contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. 

### Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs



# ......._____________REPRESENTATIVE SUSAN C. FISHER I 14TH DISTRICT

### ~ortft 

## <!Iurnlimt ®eneruiJ\ssemhllJ**~ous.e** 

### of**~presenfutiCte.s ~tate**  

### 'pl.egisfa:fi(t.e**~1rilliing 21tu~1s~.** **~(!!** 

### 27601-1096 .•:

### ..... June 

### 4, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary U.S. DepartmentofTransportation 

### 400 71 h Street, 

### SW Room 

### l0200 ' Washington, D.C. 20590 Dea1· Secretary LaHood: -

### ..·.

···-r··.::;"·, I**~m** pleased to write 

### in strong support ofthe Asheville Regional Airport•s Small Community Air Service Development

. . 

## . 

# .. Grant, which will allow 

### for new and improved**s~rvice** in 

### the western region ofour state. Our region is growing, and enhanced air service is imperative. to the

__ec9nomic vitality of the area. Quality air**se~o-vice** aids .aua· ecenomy through · improved access 

### for visitoa·s, tourism

### arid

### i~ important to business growth and

### retention~ . The western region has 

### a noted connection to the·Denver market

- both from 

### a leisure and business travel perspective. We know that 5% of inbound travelers come from Colorado, and many. more from the west. Also, significant business development is occurring by Colorado and westem state-based businesses in the· Western North Carolina region. Enhanced air service to and from Denver and western states is a positive fit for the direction 

### cif growth this region is experiencing. The Asheville· Rcgiorwl Airport has put togethe'i· a-:t\V9-foldplan to mitigate the rising air fares they arc experiencing due·**t~** the loss ofAirT1"ail Airways thi:; year"; The plan .t'ocuse-s on attracting another low-cost -3ir service provider to· serve the

. Denver market, and potentially additional markets lost when AirTran

### w~s acquired.by Sou.thwest. Second, the plan

enstues that**sufficie~t** marketing will occur. to support the new low-fare carrier's success in the WNC market, and· includes a focus on strengthening the.newly formed travel advisory group.**~** 

### . Having been a mtmber ofthe Regional_ Airport Board, this is a major concern to me. Anything that expands our ability 

### to meet 

### the needs 

### ofour individuals and business clients is 

### ofutmost importance. 

### I wholeheartedly support this request. Thank you for your consideration ofthe Asheville Regional Airpot1's grant request. Sincerely,

# ~~ /

. . . Representative Susan Fisher NC House District 114 - Buncombe County



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