# a

U.S
. Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n

Marc h 21 , 201 2 Mr . Dou g Va

p Airport Advisory Commissio n P.O . Bo x 44 8 McCook,N E 6900 1 ilMEN l O F PORTATIO M 0-ERATIi>-
. 1 20 0 Ne w Jerse yAvenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 I ? •^ ^ 2 : Oi. |

Dea r Mr . Vap : I woul dlik e t o updat e yo u o n th e Essentia l Ai r Servic e situatio n a

t McCoo k an dgiv e yo u a

n opportunit y t o submi t

any comment s i

f yo u wish . I

n anticipatio n o f

th e en do f

Grea t Lakes ' curren t contrac t o n May 31 , 2012 , th e Departmen t issue dOrde r

2012-1-28 , o n Januar y 27 , 2012 , t o solici t proposal s fro mal l intereste dai r carrier s t o provid e servic e a t McCook . In respons e t o that Order , w e receive donl y on e proposal , whic h wa s submitte db y th e incumben t airline , Grea t Lake s Aviation , Ltd . W e hav e directe dth e ai r carrie r t o serv e it s proposa l o n you ; i n addition , copie s of th e proposa l ma y b e accesse donlin e throug h th e Department' s Docket s Managemen t Syste mat : hitp://^A.v^w•^eL;ulatior1s•^:ov / b y enterin g "DOT-OST-1997-3005 " in th e "Enter Keywor do r

ID " field , s o w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e th e on e proposa l here . Great Lakes ' proposa l woul dcontinu e t o offe r 1 2 nonsto p roun dtrip s per wee k fro mMcCoo k

t o Denve r Internationa l Airport

utilizin g a19-sea

t Beec h 190 0 aircraft , fo r a n armua l subsid y o f $1,976,338 . Whil e w e woul dnormall y as k for you r comment s a s t o th e variou s ai r caiTie r options , w e nonetheles s wan t

t o giv e yo u a

n opportunit y t o submi t

any formal comment s for th e recor d before w e submi t

arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary for

Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affairs . Pleas e not e tha

t th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n in th e proposa l d o not necessaril y reflec t

th e averag e local far

e McCoo k

woul dactuall y pay . but

rather , reflec t

aprorate dportio n of

th e tota l ticke t price , e.g. . th e McCoo k - Sa n Francisc o portio n o f

aMcCoo k

- Denver

- San Francisc o ticke t tha t th e subsidize dair

carrie r woul drealize . Also , di e far e show n i s ne t

o f certai n charge s '.ucii a.s Federal iranNponafio n securii y tecs , o\i;is e '.>! ' riclce v laxes , andPassenye r

Facilityth e passenge r fare s presente din th e proposa l hav e bee n develope dfo r subsid y rat e computatio n purpose s only . Yo u shoul dals o not e tha t th e schedule s tha t

th e ai r carrie r ha s submitte dar e illustrativ e only , an d tha t Great Lake s may mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban k

time s a t th e hu b airport . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r

carrier s t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space dflight s i n orde r t o ensur e full compensation . W e reques t

that yo u submi t

any comment s yo u may hav e a s soo n a s possible , but i n an y cas e n o late r tha n Apri l 20 , 2012 . W e wil l carefull y conside r you r comment s before w e submi t a recommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary for

adecision . I

f yo u hav e any question s o r i f yo u fin dthat yo u nee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t you r comments , pleas e le t

m e know . Pleas e sen dyou r

comment s t o m e a

t th e followin g emai l address : EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7838 . I

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t Scott Faul k o f my staf f a t scott.faulk@dot.go v o r

202-366-9967 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sen t

t o th e Mayo r

o f McCoo k an dth e Cit y Manager . Sincerely ,

Demii s J . DeVan y Chief , Essentia l Ai r

Servic e Division , X-5 3 Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s