**~ :~.**  : : U.S. Department ofTransportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation



### The Honorable ChuckMcGrady N.C. House ofRepresentatives·· 16 W.Jones Street; Room 418A · Raleigh, NC 27601 DearMr. McGrady: Assistant Secretary 

### July 3, 2012 1 200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thankyou for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supportingtheproposal submitted by the Asheville Regional Airport.for a grantundertheU.S. DepartmentofTransportation's Small Community Air Service DevelopmentProgram. The Secretary has requested that Irespond 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 maximwn of40 grant awards each year, although no more than4 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 ofprojectsthat can be funded. On May 15, the Departmentissued an orderrequesting thatcommunities interested in receiving a grantthis year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot commenton the merits**of~** 

### particularproposal. I assure you that the Departmentwill give full and fair consideration to all proposals thathave beenproperly filed.
As 

### is ournonnal practice, I am placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contactoutside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interestin this program. Sincerely yours,

Susan L. 

### Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs. -,·. r'**.,,·~-·** 

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COMMITTEES: REPRESENTATIVE CHUCK MCGRADY APPROPRIATIONS I I 7TH DISTRICT OFFICrt ADDRESS:

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EMAIL.: 16 W. JON!tS STReET, ROOM 4 I 0 A RAI..IliGH, NC 27601·1096 (9 I 9) 733•1!19!16 {0 I 9) 794·33 I 6 FAX chuck.mcgrady@neleg.net APPROPRIATIONS SUUCOMMITTiiE ON TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENT, VICE CHAIRMAN JUDICLARV' JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTE:2 ON CIVIL LAW TRANSPORTATION HoMe ADDRESS: PO aox 723 HENDEROONYIC.LI!, NC 29793 (928) 692•3896

- 'J"E\.EPfiONK:

The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary U.S. Department ofTransportation 400

## 7:h Street, 

## sw Room 10200**Washington~** D.C. 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood: June 4, 2012

• -e: 1support the Asheville Regional AirpO'I't's·Small Community Air Service· Develepment Grant, which will allow for new and improved service in the western region of our state. This region is growing, and enhanced air service is imperative to the economic vitality of the area. Quality air service aids our c>conomy through improved access for visitors, tourism and is important to business growth and retemion.
The western region has a noted connection to the Denver market

- both from a leisure and business travel perspective. While I know that 5% of inbound travelers come from Colorado, and many more from the west; I'm particularly aware of the connection because my daughter attended summer camp In Colorado, and flew that route eath'year; Moreover, significant business development is occurring by Colorado and western 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 of growth our region Is experiencing. However, we have experienced the loss of low-cost air carrier AirTran in the past year, and as a result, have seen airfares begin to rise to levels much greater than our competitbrs are experiencing. 

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The Asheville Regional Airport has put together a two-fold plan to mitigate the rising air fares It Is experiencing due to the loss ofAlrTran Airways this year. First, the plan focuses on attracting another low-cost air service provider to serve the Denver market, and potentially additional markets lost when AirTran was acquired by Southwest. Second, the plan ensures that sufficient marketing will occur to support the new low-fa're carriers success In the WNC market, and includes a focus on

### strimgtheni~g the newly

### forme~d travel advisory group - a !=onsortl1-1m of business

### leaders~ 'economic developers'and tourism representatives who meetquarterly to discuss air service needs, advocacy and utilization.

Isupport oftheAshevllle Regional Airport's grant request.

# ~ Rep. Chuck McGrady



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