U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

Of Transportation 

The Honorable Patty Murray 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Murray: 

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application submitted by the City of Yakima for a grant 

under the U.S. Department of Transportation'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 or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

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

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On June 24, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 26 for applications. As 

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

particular proposal. I assure you 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-2013-0120 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 
PATTY MURRAY WASHINGTON 

'lanited ~ta.trs ~enatr WASHINGTON, DC 20510-4704 

August 2, 2013 

Brooke Chapman, Associate Director 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Associate Director Chapman: 

COMMITTEES: 

APPROPRIATIONS 

BUDGET 

HEALTH, EDUCATION. LABOR. 

AND PENSIONS 

RULES AND ADMINISTRATION 

VETERANS' AFFAIRS 

I am writing in support of the application submitted by the City of Yakima to the Small 

Community Air Service Development program. Funding from this program will augment the 

public/private partnership resources to enhance departure frequency and business at Yakima Air 

Terminal-McAllister Field (YKM). 

Yakima Air Terminal~McAllister Field serves travelers to and from the Yakima Valley and 

South Central Washington region. In the 12 month period ending March 20 13, total hoardings at 

YKM totaled 54,000. The airpo1t is currently served primarily by three Alaska/Horizon Airlines 

daily departures, a reduction from the 2007 level of five daily departures. It is important in this 

vast rural area that people have the ability to connect to the nation's air transportation system 

without having to drive 140 miles to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 

Grant funding will support the priorities of Yakima air service development through the 

public/private partnership created to enhance business at Yakima Air Terminal-McAllister Field. 

These priorities include reducing fares to compete with similar markets; strengthening the 

partnership with Alaska/Horizon Airlines and work to increase daily departures; and expanding 

nonstop services to new markets. These efforts are critical to serving travelers who rely on YKM 

for their business and pleasure trips. 

Thank you for your consideration of the City of Yakima's application to the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program. Please feel free to contact my Seattle office at (206) 553~ 

5545 with any questions. 

PM/ab 

448 RuSSELl. SENATE. OFFtC:E BUILDJNO 

WASH!N(ITON, DC 2051()..4704 

(202) 224-2621 

THE MA~SHII.LL HOUSE 

1323 OFFICER'S RoW 

VANCOUVER, WA 98661-3656 

i360l 696-7797 

2930 WETMORE AVENUE 

Surrn 903 

EvERETI,. WA 98201-4107 

(425) 259-6515 

Patty 

United 

2988 JACKSON FEDE"AL BUILOING 

915 2NO AVENUE 

Sf.ATILE. WA98174-1003 

(206) 553-554!; 

TOLl. FREE: (866) 481-9186 

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