U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Mr. John Saputo President/Owner Gold Coast Eagle Distributing 7051 Wireless Court Sarasota, FL 34240

Dear Mr. Saputo: July 3_. 2012 I I'**''~-i** 

## 28 ·1200 New Jersey Avenue, SC Washington, DC 20590

' ,,

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I respond 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 maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 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 ofprojects that can be funded.

' On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany 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 normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program.
Sincerely yours,

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

### Re: Small Community Air 

### Service Development Program**Dock~t** DOT**-ost,.~!012--0069**

### $are~sota**Br~de:nton** 

### International Airport (SRQ)

The Honorable 

### Ray·H. Larlood**s~ctetary** 

### ofTransportation Unltt:)d States Department 

### ofTransportation 

## 1200 New 

### Jet.s$y Avenue., S.E. 

### Washington, DC 20590


### Bear 

### Mr: L;aHood,

:1 

### am**w~iJir;tg** 

### as President/Owner 

### of GoJd CoastE;agle 

### Distributing 

### to**.e~press.** 

### o\Jnslrong $YppmHor the 

### above: refe:ren¢ec::J 

### gr,ant app.li¢afion to the 

### Small 

### dornmunityAlr Service: Development 

### Rrogram. the·re:cent 

### dlifcision by 

### southwest

### Airlines to pull 

### AifTtan service 

### from SRQ<iS, .a 

### major blow to**th~Jair** 

### service**and.·economi~** 

### com!letitiveness pfthe enti.re 

### :te.gi.on setved:sny· 

## Sarasota B.nade:ntc;u:'llnternational**Al~pe>rt.** 

### Alrtran acca.unted 

### tor oMet 360,0Qt) 

### pas$$n,Q'et& orneafly SOo/(rof**~If** 

### passeheJE!i"ftaffi'ealSRQ in 

### 2011.

Sarasota eradenton.aiS9'sUffers from 

### ·a lack 

### pf**~ccess tQ<~Westbound**  

### airline 

### .gateway. This forces local consumers 

### to drive 

### to other airports, 

### thereby Inflicting economic 

### damage on**~he** local 

### economy.

A 1 Qst·ecortomHUmr.>aot 

### Study completed 

### as part 

### of .the SRQ Master Plan Update 

### reveal.ed**that57<~J()** of all 

### enplanements>atSRQ were out 

### of atea**visitors~.spel'lding** 

### an average of;$665.00 per visit. U.sing the CY 2011 AirTran· 

### passen,et traffiC

### t~ts;equates to 

### 102;601)VI$itdrstothe

### SRQare~. ,\4f!len cornbinecl 

### with 

### the**100~000 passeng~rs**  lost dlle to 

### no ·westbound 

### service tj'\is 

### ·e.q,uates.·to a loss ofover $105;000.000 

### ofdirect 

### visitor expenditUres 

### anliUally; Wheh·the 

### multiplier effect is f(liotored in·ltequates. be. loss of 

### nearlY $285.•000,000 of.economlc impact and 

## 2,aoo jobs .to,the area.


### The comr:nu:nftyJs partnering**~ittt·th~** aitPQrt 

### to match 

### the**g~ahtfunds** 

### (Iollar**f~r** 

### dollar on 

### this crJtiQal

### rpa.tt~·r. 

### We**a~k tne·t)epa.rt~Emt**  

### 'consider**m~:~~ri6tis n~gatht~** 

### ·**e]Je~t~;rthe reP~ot**  

### approval 

### providedto 

### Southwest**.Aldin~** 

## to acquire 

## Air 'fran 

### Airway$ has hat1 on 

### Q.ur

### ~omrnt~nlty,an~ approvs the applicaliao for 

### asslstanee. 

## ·rnank you 

### foryCiur**oon~i<Jeration.**