Airport Alert: DOT Seeks Applications for Small Community Air Service Grants
November 24, 2020
The Department of Transportation today released an order inviting communities and consortia of communities to apply for up to $13 million in grants under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Communities must submit their applications by 4:00 p.m. EST on January 26, 2021.
Application Process: Those that are interested 'must submit applications of no more than 20 one-sided pages (excluding the completed Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF424), Summary Information schedule, and any letters from the community or an air carrier showing support for the application).' More information is available in DOT's order.
Eligible Applicants: Individual communities and consortia of communities are eligible to participate. However, DOT may not select more than four communities or consortia of communities from the same state in the same year. The program is also limited to 40 communities or consortia of communities in the same year.
Eligible Projects: DOT may award grants to eligible communities that seek to provide assistance to:
Restrictions: The Small Community Air Service Development Program is reserved for airports that are small hubs or smaller. DOT also points out that 'a community or consortium may not receive a new grant to support the same project more than once in a ten-year period.'
Typical Grants: According to DOT, 'there is no minimum or maximum individual award amount….' However, 'in the past years, the Department's individual grants have ranged from $20,000 to nearly $1.6 million.'
Background: Congress initially created the small community program as part of AIR-21 in an effort to help airports that suffer from infrequent service and high airfares. Since then, AAAE has helped to obtain funding for the program in the FAA reauthorization process and annual appropriations bills. The House and Senate versions of the FY21 DOT spending bill, which lawmakers are currently considering, propose another $10 million for the program.
The Department of Transportation today released an order inviting communities and consortia of communities to apply for up to $13 million in grants under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Communities must submit their applications by 4:00 p.m. EST on January 26, 2021.
Application Process: Those that are interested 'must submit applications of no more than 20 one-sided pages (excluding the completed Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF424), Summary Information schedule, and any letters from the community or an air carrier showing support for the application).' More information is available in DOT's order.
Eligible Applicants: Individual communities and consortia of communities are eligible to participate. However, DOT may not select more than four communities or consortia of communities from the same state in the same year. The program is also limited to 40 communities or consortia of communities in the same year.
Eligible Projects: DOT may award grants to eligible communities that seek to provide assistance to:
- 'A U.S. air carrier to subsidize service to and from an underserved airport for a period not to exceed 3 years;
- An underserved airport to obtain service to and from the underserved airport; and/or
- An underserved airport to implement such other measures as the Secretary, in consultation with such airport, considers appropriate to improve air service both in terms of the cost of such service to consumers and the availability of such service, including improving air service through marketing and promotion of air service and enhanced utilization of airport facilities.'
Restrictions: The Small Community Air Service Development Program is reserved for airports that are small hubs or smaller. DOT also points out that 'a community or consortium may not receive a new grant to support the same project more than once in a ten-year period.'
Typical Grants: According to DOT, 'there is no minimum or maximum individual award amount….' However, 'in the past years, the Department's individual grants have ranged from $20,000 to nearly $1.6 million.'
Background: Congress initially created the small community program as part of AIR-21 in an effort to help airports that suffer from infrequent service and high airfares. Since then, AAAE has helped to obtain funding for the program in the FAA reauthorization process and annual appropriations bills. The House and Senate versions of the FY21 DOT spending bill, which lawmakers are currently considering, propose another $10 million for the program.
