Aviation issues – including the makeup of the Essential Air
Service program – are slated to be at the forefront of debate in
the new Congress this year.
The EAS program – which must be reauthorized in Congress by
Sept. 30 – will certainly be touched upon, including putting the
tools in place to allow the program to work both effectively and
efficiently for such rural facilities as Bradford Regional
Airport.
The program could have friends in the Democratic party, which
seized control of Congress last year in the mid-term elections.
Several influential Democrats whose districts include communities
with an EAS airport sit on aviation, transportation and
appropriations committees.
Also on tap will be the Federal Aviation Administration
reauthorization legislation, which also expires this year, a battle
over funding for the Small Community Air Service Development
program and air service marketing efforts.
Similar to previous years, the Bush administration will likely
target the EAS program in particular to either be scaled back or
eliminated altogether.
“The president’s budget blueprint will be released shortly, and,
just like last year and the ones before that, we expect to have a
fight on our hands,” according to U.S. Rep. John Peterson’s, R-Pa.,
Communications Director Chris Tucker. Fortunately, it’s a fight for
which we are ready and uniquely equipped to prosecute.”
The outcome of that battle is key for Bradford Regional, which
is under the auspices of EAS. The program ensures that airports
that received commercial air service before deregulation in 1978
continue to receive it.
Over the last year alone, airport leaders have dealt with
jockeying air carriers, a change in hub cities from Pittsburgh to
Washington and a possible switch in parent airlines.
The airport’s current airline, Colgan Air Inc., was forced to
try and renegotiate its contract with the U.S. Department of
Transportation due to higher operating costs. In turn, the DOT had
provided the service to another airline at a lower subsidy level;
that decision was later overturned and Colgan was again awarded the
service.
Changes in the hierarchy of the DOT could also lead to a rocky
road.
According to the Dec. 19 issue of Regional Aviation Partners,
and in a letter to North Dakota’s congressional delegation, the
DOT’s new Assistant Secretary of Aviation and International Affairs
Andrew Steinberg indicated the administration would be seeking deep
cuts to the program and communities while the FAA Reauthorization
Bill is being debated.
Officials believe that bill will give the administration a
larger sounding board to try and implement its changes, according
to RAP, which could include: funding EAS at $50 million annually;
supply funding to the most remote areas first; EAS communities
within 100 miles from a large to medium hub city, 75 miles from a
small hub or 50 miles from a non-hub with jet service would lose
their air service subsidy and only be eligible for a surface
transportation subsidy in addition to being required to pay 50
percent of the cost of providing that service; EAS communities
between 100-210 miles from a large to medium hub must contribute
not less than 25 percent of their air service subsidy; and EAS
communities greater than 210 miles from a large to medium hub must
contribute not less than 10 percent of their air service
subsidy.
