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Final bill preserves EAS support for airports in Chadron, McCook and Alliance
February 3, 2012 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson announced the FAA Reauthorization will protect economic development in rural Nebraska by keeping the state’s small airports in the Essential Air Service program.
“This is an important victory for Nebraska and for rural communities across the United States,” Senator Nelson said. “The communities and surrounding areas served by these airports use them as economic development tools to create local jobs. They rely on having commercial air service in order to stay connected to our nation’s transportation network, conduct business, and attract new companies and employees.”
Congress recently completed work on a final version of the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. A provision was added that keeps the most remote small airports in the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. Support from the EAS program is needed in order for the airports to maintain commercial airline service, a key draw for economic development.
The provision states that airports serving an average of 10 or fewer passengers per day will no longer receive EAS support unless those airports are more than 175 driving miles from the nearest large- or medium-sized airport.
This designation protects Nebraska’s airports in Alliance, McCook and Chadron. Nebraska’s four other EAS airports serve more than 10 passengers per day on average and were not at risk of losing support.
“The City of Alliance and the Alliance Municipal Airport are very happy to learn of the continuance of Essential Air Service to our community and appreciate the efforts of Senator Nelson in the process,” said Alliance Airport Manager Lynn Placek. “EAS is vital to the economic growth progress of smaller communities and the need to be connected to larger cities.”
The EAS program was put into place to guarantee that small communities would continue to be served by commercial airlines once air travel was deregulated in 1978. As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation subsidizes the airlines to ensure they continue to grant access to rural Americans.
“The Essential Air Service program is an investment in economic development for rural America,” Nelson said. “Many Nebraskans contacted me with their concerns that losing EAS support would be devastating to their communities’ ability to attract employers and create jobs. At a time when our country is starting to see glimpses of economic recovery, cutting off EAS support would be a step backwards in rural America.”
Throughout his Senate career, Nelson has championed the benefits of the EAS program and opposed efforts to undermine it. The EAS program was at risk of being eliminated or severely cut back in FAA reauthorization legislation.
Last year, Nelson made a strong statement for the Congressional Record in support of the EAS program, led 10 of his colleagues in a March 10, 2011 letter of support to the Senate Commerce Committee Chairman, and worked with his Nebraska colleague Mike Johanns to send a letter on March 31, 2011 in support to the top Democrat and top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee.
The Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law in the next few weeks.
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