# City o f

Alpen a -RTMENTO F

CIT Y HAL L * 208 NORTH FIRS T AVENU E ' ALPENA , MSGHIGA N 4970 7 ?385 www.aipeRa.rni.u s Aprils , 201 2 Mr . Denni s DeVan y Chief , Essentia l Ai rServic e Divisio n Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s Departmen t of Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e SE , Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Referenc e DOT-OST-2009-030 0 Dea rDennis , Alpen a i s veryappreciativ e o f th e Departmen t seein g th e challenge s o f th e ai rservic e situatio n i n ou rCit y an d issuin g a fourt h RF P fo rAlpen a EA S service , pe rOrde r2012-3-19 . W e d o wis h t o mak e clea rou rstronges t objectio n t o on e aspec t of thi s proces s a s i t i s unfolding . Thi s i s relate d t o th e leve l o f servic e i n a n acceptabl e carrie rbi d proposin g nine-sea t o rles s aircraft . O n page 5 o f Orde r2012-3-1 9 th e Departmen t state s "W e tak e thi s actio n notwithstandin g tha t Ai rChoic e One' s Option s 4 an d 5 full y mee t th e requiremen t fo rbasi c EA S " Whil e AirChoiceOn e Optio n 5 offer s fou rtrip s pe rday . Optio n 4 onl y offer s thre e trip s pe rday . W e referenc e th e following ;

• DO T Orde r2011-9-5 , th e origina l RF P regardin g Alpen a an d th e othe rDelt a cities , page 6 , "A t al l othe rcommunitie s (thi s include s Alpena ) w e ar e requestin g tw o nonsto p roun d trip s pe rda y(12-1 4 pe rweek ) a t eac h communit y i f 30-sea t o rlarge requipmen t i s proposed , tw o o rthre e trip s pe rda y (1 2 - 1 8 pe rweek ) wit h 19-sea t aircraft ; an d mor e frequencie s wit h smalle raircraft "

• Orde r2011-11-2 0 requestin g anothe rroun d o f bid s a t Alpena ; pag e 4 , "Fo rexample , w e woul d entertai n proposal s wit h 8/9-sea t aircraf t an d a s man y a s fou ro rfiv e roun d trip s pe rda y(2 4 t o 3 0 a week) "

• Regardin g th e fou rDelt a southeas t U.S . citie s tha t ar e als o i n th e mids t of a fourt h RFP , th e Departmen t ha s specificall y aske d fo rfou rtri p proposal s i f 8/ 9 sea t aircraf t ar e used , eve n thoug h th e Memphi s hu b t o whic h suc h aircraf t woul d typicall y b e use d onl y ha s thre e bank s o f Delt a flights . 

# ILPlN i MICHIGAfrSAOVENSWX S• AirChoiceOn e operate s EA S o n a on e yea rcontrac t a t Burlington , Iow

a an d Decatur , Illinoi s an d i n bot h case s th e 9 sea t service patter n require s fou rtrip s pe rday . • Cap e Ai rEA

S servic e a

t Marion , IL , Quincy , IL , an d Cap e Girardeau , M o wit h 9-sea t aircraf t i s subsidize d at fou ro rmor e frequencies , al l o

f thes e citie s boar

d measurabl y les s passenger

s tha n Alpen a does . We ar e workin g ver

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e hav e hig h hope s o

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t least on e bi d fro m a carrie rofferin g that typ e o f servic e an d th e EAS definition s th e Departmen t has outline d ar e consisten t o n thos e type s o f bids . However , th e Departmen t i s statin g that AirChoiceOn e Optio n 4 , wit h onl ythre e roun d trip s i n a n 8-sea t (o r7 o rless , dependin g o n one' s poin t o f view ) pisto n aircraft , i s a n acceptabl e bid . We strongl ycontest that conclusion . Th e Department' s origina l Alpen a solicitatio n an d th e follow u p Orde ri n Novembe rclearl ystat e that 8/ 9 sea t proposal s shoul d hav e fou ro rmor

e frequencies . RFP s fo rth e fou rDelta citie s wit h simila rtraffi c historie s i n th e southeast clearl y stat e th e same , AirChoiceOn e servic e a t Burlingto n an d Decatur , tw o citie s wit h measurabl y les s traffi c tha n Alpena , als o i s supporte d a t a fou rflight s pe rda

yleve l wit h a 9 sea

t aircraft . Cap e Ai rservic e a

t thre e citie s has fou ro rmor e frequencie s supporte d b ysubsidy . W e respectfull yrequest that th e Departmen t clarif yOrde r2012-3-1 9 i n that AirChocieOn e Optio n 4 i s no

t a lega l bi d b

yth e Department' s ow n minimu m service definition s fo rthat bid . Further , i n nin e othe rcit yRF P instance s that ar e recen t o rongoin g th e Departmen t has require d fou ro rmor

e trip s i n 8/

9 sea t aircraft , no

t three . We hop e t o avoi d seein g ou rai rservice shif t fro m a 50-sea

t regiona l je t an d 25,00 0 annua l passenger

s (th e traffi c volum e w

e are trackin g a

t s o fa ri n 2012 ) to a 8/ 9 sea t aircraft . I f however , w

e hav e t o mak e that transition , i t mus

t b e accompanie d b

yadequat e frequenc

yt o attemp t t o compensat e fo rth e los s o f capacity . Th e Departmen t s o note d th e radica l dro p i n capacit y entaile d i n suc h a transitio n o n pag e 5 o f it s recen t Alpen a re-bi d order . Than k yo u agai n fo rth e fourt h bi d cycle . We appreciat e that th e Departmen t understand s w e ar e doin g th e bes

t w e ca n t o fin d a goo d replacemen t service . However , w e woul d ver

ymuc h appreciat e a clarificatio n that 8/ 9 sea t bid s shoul d b e at a fou rtri p pe rda ylevel , fo ral l th e reason s outline d above . Respectf u Matthew J . Waligora Mayo r 

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