& iien«»#«t»ianfn { Assistan t Secretar y ' t20 0 NewJers^Ave.,S.E . U.S.Depcrtinen l O I - i Washington , O C 2OSS 0 'nransportoflo n ' .:. f Offic e o f th e Secretar

y ' * ' ofTransportcrtlo n ^^ ^ j ^ ^01 0 

### The Honorabl e Jame s L . Obersta r Chainnan , Committe e o n Transportatio n An dInfrastructur

e _ ; U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Mr . Cnairman : Than k yo u fo r your letter supportin g th e proposal submitte db y th e Dulut h Airpor t Authorit y fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra m (Small Commimit

y Program) . Th e Secretar

y ha s aske dm e t o reply . The Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dt o hel p smaller communitie s addres s an

* servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an dinsufficient service . Congres s appropriate d$ 8 millio n fo r grant award s under

thi s programi n Fisca l Yea r 2009 . Unde r

th e statute , th e U.S . Department o f Transportatio n ma

y us e th e funds t o mak

e amaximu mo f

4 0 grant award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e than fou r ma y b e to communitie s i n th e same State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s wit h latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e problems , th e statute provide s significant flexibilit y in ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . Give n th e larg e number

o f application s andth e limitation s i n th e law , i t wa s necessar

y to mak e animibe r o f ver y difficult decisions . Unfortunately , Dulut h wa s no t selecte dfo

r one o f th e grant awards . However , th e Department congratulate s Dulut

h o n achievin g th e primar y objectiv e o f

it s Smal l Communit

y Progra mgrant applicatio n independen t

o f Federa l funding . A s yo u ma

y know . Unite dAirline s commence dtwice-dail y nonsto p servic e betwee n Dulut

h an dChicag o o n December 18,2009 . United' s ne w ai r servic e expand s bot

h domesti c andinternational destination s fo r your constituents . A s i s ou r normal practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

your letter an dthi s respons e i n Docket OST-2009-014 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor

do f thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t in thi s program . Sincerely yours .

' Susa n L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n andInternational Affair s C 5 OJAME S L OBERSTA R

, , O 1 , , , lii'Ar.l-. ^ ...! Y Hi WA-.H,f , , n;^^

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# Congres s o f th e Unite d State s CHAIRMA N iioiis t o f 7\tprcscntariuc 3 '''^"AKF?Ay^RulTURE*^'° ~ ifaBhingtoii . B e 20515-2,0 8 '?,v^""'... ^ CM',.<U I V M N !jf)/lF > ?1f( i JS.1 . i;;c, i

ATLARQ E WHI P ^.' • Augus t 1 1 , 200 9 o^8!7J ^ ;d M 3367 S 1-It? . A,I.N . . S.Jlit - 30t; u Nc'.r n StJANt.' . M

M bbl>:. h lU.SI l ?7 7 \2-i 4 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Ave , S E Washington , D. C 2059 0 Dea r Mr . Secretary : I a mwritin g t o expres s my stron g support fo r th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t Progra mapplicatio n submitte db y th e Dulut h Airport Authority . Traveler s in northeaster n Minnesot a an dnorthweste mWisconsi n hav e bee n hi t har dwith th e merge r

betwee n Delt aan dNorthwes t Airline s ove r th e pas t year . Airlin e seat s hav e bee n reduce dby 44.7 % an dairfare s hav e increase d27 % betwee n September

200 8 an dSeptembe r

2009 . Thi s ha s resulte di

n tremendou s heu'dship o n th e community an d airpor t a s passenge r

leakag e t o th e Minneapoli s St . Pau l Internationa l Airport ha s increase d substantially . Th e $600,00 0 gran t requeste dby m

y constituent s wil l hel p fun da n excitin g pla n t o enhanc e ai r

servic e i n northeaster n Minnesot aan dnorthweste mWisconsin . Th e objectiv e o f

th e proposa l i s two-fold . First , t o brin g competitio n t o th e regio n whic h wil l moderate th e hig h ai r

fare s an dlac k

o f seat s experience di

n Duluth , stimulat e deman dan dreduc e leakag e t o th e Minneapoli s hub . Secondly , th e successfu l introductio n o f targete dservic e t o Chicago , an dbeyon dpoint s wil l furthe r stimulat e th e marke t

whic h i n tur n wil l provid e opportunitie s fo r additional destination s i n th e future . Letter s o f commitmen t

hav e alread y bee n receive dfro mExpres s Je t an dSk y Wes t Airline s t o provid e thi s servic e upo n gran t award . Thi s submissio n b y m

y constituent s in northeastern Minnesot arepresent s apruden t us e o f federa l transportatio n dollars . I urg e yo u t o giv e ever y consideratio n t o thi s importan t application . Wit h bes t wishes . Sincerely , Jafiie s L . Oberstar , M.C . JLO/b r

i N ny : '( ; HJCAI I I