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U S . Departmen t o f . ' ••,^-i'i^\U.h;j:v^ , 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E ItansportOtio n ^ •: ! U:"'L.;'A;!Ui- J Washington , D C 2059 0 Of f ic e O f th e Secretar

y ofltansporlcitio n :z \ ~Z l 1 1 P 'l - 2 0

Octobe r 17 , 201 1 Jo e Attwood , AA E Decatu r Airport 91 0 S . Airport

Rd . Decatur , Illinoi s 6252 1 Dear Mr . Attwood : I woul dlik e t o updat e yo u o n th e essentia l ai r servic e situatio n at

Decatu r an dgiv e yo u an opportunit y t o submi t

any comment s i

f yo u wish . I n anticipatio n o f th e en do f

th e curren t contrac t wit h Ai r Choic e On e o n Januar y 31 , 2012 , th e Departmen t issue d Orde r 2011-9-9 , Septembe r

14 , 2011 , t o solici t

proposal s fro mal l intereste dai r carrier s t o provid e EA S at

Decatur , a s wel l a s Burlington , Iowa , for ane w term . I n respons e t o that order , w e receive dproposal s fromMulti-Aero , Inc . d/b/ aAi r Choic e On e (Ai r

Choic e One) , th e incumbent , an dHyanni s Ai r Service , Inc . d/b/ aCap e Ai r (Cap e Air) . Copie s o f eac h proposa l ma y b e accesse donlin e a t http://www.regulations . go v b y enterin g DOT-OST-2006-2392 9 i n th e "Enter Keywor do r

ID " section . Cap e Ai r propose s si x dail y nonsto p roun dtrip s (3 6 pe r week ) t o Lambert-St . Loiii| p Internationa l Airpor t

(St . Louis ) usin g 9-passenge r Cessn a40 2 aircraft . Th e carrie r expect s t o offe

r acode-shar e agreemen t

with America n Airlines . Cap e Ai r propose s a

n annua l subsid y o f

$1,529,33 3 fo

r atwo-year

term , o r an annua l subsid y o f

$1,491,90 2 for afour-year

term . Ai r Choic e On e propose dfiv e options , eac h operatin g wit h 9-passenge r Cessn aGran d Carava n aircraft . Optio n 1 i s thre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an dthre e nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 8 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e (th e curren t servic e pattern ) fo r

an annua l subsid y o f $2,750,43 5 (two-year

term ) o r $2,667,92 2 (four-year

term) . Optio n 2 i s tw o nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(1 2 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s an dfour nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekday andweeken d(2 4 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e for a n annua l subsid v o1 " $2.77S.'^>0

4 Hwo-yea

r terir u o r 'i;2,6f>^i.,537 (fous

- veo

r ieim K Optio n ? • v:. sir .nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(3 6 pe r week ) t o St . Loui s fo r

a n annua l subsid y o f

$2,228,17 4 (two-year

term ) o r $2,219,52 9 (four-year

term) . Optio n 4 i s si x nonsto p roun dtrip s eac h weekda y an dweeken d(3 6 pe r week ) t o Chicag o O'Har e for an • annua l subsid y o f

$2,854,864'(two-yea r

term ) o r $2,769,21 8 (four-yea

r term) . Optio n 5 i s apackag e with Burlington , Iowa , that include s 3 6 weekl y nonsto p roun dtrip s for Burlingto n an dDecatu r

(1 8 nonsto p roun dtrip s t o Chicag o O'Har e an d1 8 nonsto p roun d trip s t o St . Louis) , for

an aimual subsid y o f

$5,220,90 1 (two-year

term ) o r $5,168,69 2 (four-yea r term) . Th e 3 6 weekl y roun dtrip s propose dfor Burlingto n i s mor e servic e tha n th e Departmen t

solicite di n it s reques t

for proposals . Pleas e not e that

th e averag e passenge r

fare s show n i n th e proposa l d o no t necessaril y reflec t th e averag e loca l far e Decatu r passenger s woul dactuall y pay , but , rather , reflec t a prorate dportio n o f

th e tota l ticke t

price , e.g. , th e Decatu r

- St . Loui s portio n o f

aDecatu r

- St . Loui s - Washington , D.C . ticke t that th e subsidize dcarrie r

woul drealize . Also , th e fare show n i s ne t

o f certai n charge s suc h a s Federa l transportatio n security fees , excis e o r ticke t taxes , an dPassenge r

Facilit y Charges . O f

course , carrier s hav e th e discretio n t o charg e fare s the y dee mappropriate , an dth e passenge r fare s presente di n thi s proposa l hav e bee n develope dfor

subsid y rat e computatio n purpose s only . Yo u shoul dals o not e that th e schedule s that

th e carrie r

ha s submitte dar e illustrativ e only , an dtha t the y ma y mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g coimectin g ban k time s at th e hub . Th e Departmen t expect s subsidize dai r carrier s t o maintai n well-time dan dwell-space dflight s i n orde r t o ensur e ful l compensation . W e as k tha t yo u submi t

an y comment s yo u ma y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t i n an y cas e n o late r tha n Novembe r

14 , 2011 . W e wil l carefull y conside r you r comment s befor e w e submi t areconmiendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretary for

adecision . Shoul dyo u hav e an y question s o r

nee dadditiona l tim e t o draf t you r comments , pleas e le t

u s know . Pleas e sen dyou r

comment s vi ae-mai l t o EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t Kevi n Schlemme r

o f my staf f a t kevin.schlemmer@dot.go v o r 202-366-3176 . A similar lette r ha s bee n sen t

t o th e Mayo r

o f Decatur . Sincerely ,

Dermi s J . DeVan y Chief , Essentia l Ai r

Servic e