Comments (7) | Add a comment
FAA bill could limit Ely air service
Tools
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated: Feb. 8, 2012 | 12:02 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- Future commercial air service out of White Pine County Airport in Ely may be imperiled by legislation that cleared Congress on Monday.
The Senate voted, 75-20, to approve a four-year, $63.6 billion Federal Aviation Administration bill Monday that tightens eligibility rules for the Transportation Department's Essential Air Service program.
Under the bill, an airport no longer would be able to participate in the program if the per passenger subsidy exceeds $1,000. Commercial flights from the rural Nevada airport, provided by Great Lakes Airlines, surpass that figure.
Patrice Ly, the airport's manager, and James Adams, who manages Ely's Great Lakes Airlines station, had no comment. They were still reviewing the legislation.
Brian Sowa, a spokesman for the Rural Air Service Alliance, said Monday that it appeared Ely could be knocked out of the program under the legislation.
But, he said, that would not happen until after the current contract expires in September. The legislation does allow for the Transportation Secretary to waive the restriction.
Sen. Nelson Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said Monday that the bill strikes a balance between the need to cut federal spending and preserve rural access to air transportation. The $1,000 limit, he said, was sensible.
"That much money going into a couple of passengers is just ridiculous," Rockefeller said.
Rockefeller, who leads the Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee, was a key negotiator with the House over a final version of the legislation.
Passage of the bill ends an impasse over FAA reauthorization. The agency has been operating under 23 temporary extensions since the last authorization bill expired nearly four years ago.
The agency was partially shut down for two weeks in the summer when Congress failed to approve a 22nd extension because of disputes over the rural subsidy and organized labor.
That partial shutdown also imposed a temporary stoppage on construction of the new control tower at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.
Work resumed on schedule after Congress approved a temporary extension in September.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the bill would give FAA "the stability it needs to properly maintain a world-class air travel system."
Reid said the bill would allow FAA to upgrade the nation's air-traffic control system and invest in airports and runways across the nation.
Reid and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., voted for the bill.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau reporter Peter Urban at purban@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
Trending topics:
Comments
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The Review-Journal does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please use the Report Abuse button.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Ahhh... the chickens are coming home to roost. So sad (not).
I live in Ely and have taken the flight several times, although not with the current carrier, Great Lakes Airlines. A big part of the problem is, they conduct daily service. There's been times I was the only person on the plane, and there has never been more than 8 people or so on any flight I have been on. Coming to McCarren, although convenient, has added significantly to the cost. The flight used to go into North Las Vegas airport and they would bus you to McCarren. Back then, it was $50 each way and the subsity was half of what it is now. The current company wants $200 each way. For that price, I can go to and from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, park for a week, and still have enough left for lunch for the price of a one way trip. Don't get me wrong, we need this service in Ely. If you don't want to drive, this is the only way. There is no bus service to or from Ely (except the NDOC prison busses), but it needs to be cut back to a couple of times a week.
Whats the closest airport to Ely? I'm sure Greyhound could probably get you there, and from that point you could fly out. Or better yet, just for example, there is a company in St. George that shuttles people to and from McCarran everyday. Perhaps some entrepreneur in Ely might want to consider doing the same? At $3,000 bucks per passenger govt. subsidy, can we really afford paying for this?
Does this mean highly subsidize air tavel is not a constitutionally quaranteed entitlement?
It has nothing to do with the airline's qualifications. The Essential Air Service program is based on the qualifications of the airport based on distance from another airport and if the airport had serv-ice prior to 1979. The program is a total waste of tax dollars. People choose to live in smaller areas and then expect big area services.
This is just another example of how congress cannot make any serious cuts in the budget. While I'm sure the overall cost of this subsidy is small, only a few million, we can't even accomplish getting rid of such an unnecessary subsidy. Follow the money to see which airlines still meet the qualifications and you're sure to find some of their money in senator's pockets.
I would go even further and make that figure $0. Let the free market determine what the fare should be, or if it's not worth it, end the service. The airline is going to fight for the subsidy, as it's easy money. It's also crony capitalism, which is what is rendering this country into shreds.