Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) is pushing for continuation of the federal program that ensures commercial airline service in Chautauqua County. Higgins stresses the importance of funding the Essential Air Service program in a letter to Congressional Committee leaders working to reauthorize of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“A discontinuation or downsizing of this program to exclude Jamestown threatens more than convenience, it threatens local jobs, local business and local residents’ access to the entire transportation network,” said Higgins. “We’re fighting to stop this from happening make sure Washington understands the economic impact such a move would have on smaller communities like ours.”
The 1978 Airline Deregulation Act, allowed airlines to self-determine which markets to serve. The Essential Air Service program, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is intended to maintain a level of service to smaller communities that might not otherwise receive scheduled commercial air service.
Last July Congressman Higgins voted against H.R. 2553, the Airport and Airway Extension Act, because, rather than simply extending Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs, it also included a policy rider that would make Jamestown Airport ineligible for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program.
Below is a copy of Congressman Higgins’ letter to Congressmembers involved in drafting FAA reauthorization legislation:
January 27, 2012
Dear Chairman Mica, Ranking Member Rahall, Chairman Rockefeller, and Ranking Member Hutchison,
I write you today in strong support of the Essential Air Service (EAS) program and I urge you to fully fund and extend the operation of the program to include the Jamestown, New York airport as you negotiate the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Without EAS, tens of thousands of my constituents, as well as the entire business community in Chautauqua County in my District would not have feasible access to commercial air service in and out of the area, decreasing their mobility and economic productivity.
EAS was created in 1978 to guarantee that small communities like Jamestown that had previously been served by commercial air carriers could continue to have access to air transportation upon deregulation of the domestic air carriers. As a result, carriers can extend air service to the Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport by participating in this important initiative.
The greater Chautauqua County community relies on the commercial air service provided at the Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport for life quality and economic development purposes. The availability of commercial air service is a critical component of any economic development strategy. Commercial air service is an amenity that the economic development community has long used to entice new businesses to move to the area and as an essential factor in keeping business in the area and to encourage business to grow. Cutting off this grant program now would act as a significant economic setback. Consequently, I would strongly urge you to fully fund and extend the Essential Air Service program to prevent such a result.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. I look forward to working with you on this issue.
Sincerely,
BRIAN HIGGINS
Member of Congress
ShareThis