Dear Ravn Customers & Friends,
As you know, we have been urgently seeking the funding necessary to restart our airline and bring vital air service back to Alaska. The grounding of our aircraft, furlough of our employees, and filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy were all critical to our ability to survive a 90% drop in passenger bookings and revenue due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
A key part of our needed funding is support from the U.S. Treasury’s CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security). Unfortunately, we received news this week that while eligible for payroll grant assistance, we will not be eligible for loans because the Treasury is using an Available Seat Mile (ASM) formula for loan allocations that does not enable smaller airlines to get material CARES Act assistance.
This flawed formula massively favors large well-capitalized airlines and leaves very little for small regional carriers like Ravn. It is not representative of the criticality of an airline to its state, its communities, and its citizens, and it would provide only $5.2 million of the $75 million we requested. In short, it will mean the end of our company as we know it. We believe that the small regional carriers should be exempt from the ASM allocation method and have ideas on more reasonable allocation methods, but we need the Treasury to listen to us today.
Here is where you can help. Although our Senators and Congressman have been fantastic supporters, the only way to reach Treasury officials is through the White House.
As a result, I would ask that you use your social media accounts, especially Twitter, or take to your phones, and send the following messages to President Trump [@realDonaldTrump]:
- #SaveRavnAirAlaska Alaska's largest regional airline @realDonaldTrump
- Drop the Available Seat Mile (ASM) formula for #CARESAct loans to airlines @USTreasury @StevenMnuchin1
- Ensure small airlines get critical federal aid. #COVID19 #Coronavirus #Bailout #SaveRavnAirAlaska
- Without federal assistance, rural Alaskans will go without vital food, medicine, and air service @realDonaldTrump @USTreasury @StevenMnuchin1 #SaveRavnAirAlaska
SAVE RAVNAIR ALASKA, ALASKA’S LARGEST REGIONAL AIRLINE
- ENSURE SMALL AIRLINES GET CRITICAL FEDERAL AID.
- DROP THE AVAILABLE SEAT MILE (ASM) FORMULA FOR AIRLINES THAT ARE REQUESTING LESS THAN $100 MILLION IN CARES ACT LOANS. (I.E. ESTABLISH THE SAME CARVE OUT THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR SMALL CARRIERS APPLYING FOR CARES ACT GRANTS).
WITHOUT FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, RAVN AND ITS THREE AIRLINES WILL BE LIQUIDATED AND RURAL ALASKANS WILL GO WITHOUT VITAL FOOD, MEDICINE, AND ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE.
Also tag Trump @realDonaldTrump and Fox News @FoxNews
Hashtags to use: #SaveRavnAirAlaska #COVID19 #Coronavirus #Bailout #CARESAct
Thank you for your help with this urgent request. Please take a look at our website for additional information www.flyravn.com.
With my best regards,
Dave Pflieger
President & CEO of RavnAir Alaska
The President
President Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500202-456-1111
Email: www.WhiteHouse.gov/Contact
For Twitter, your message must be 280 characters or less.
Post your message and use the President’s handle to get the message to him.
You can either use @realDonaldTrump, @WhiteHouse or @POTUS
or the hashtags #WhiteHouse, #realDonaldTrump, and/or #POTUS
