Regulatory Alert: DOT Releases NOFO for FY23 Small Community Air Service Development Program Grants  

Regulatory Alert: DOT Releases NOFO for FY23 Small Community Air Service Development Program Grants  
June 10, 2024

On June 10, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) soliciting applications from communities interested in obtaining a discretionary grant under the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) to address air service and airfare issues in their communities. The DOT will make up to $12 million available for fiscal year 2023 grant awards. The deadline for applying is July 25, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. EDT. 
 
The SCASDP was created in 2000 as a financial assistance program to help small communities enhance their air service. The program has been subsequently reauthorized by Congress on several occasions, including most recently through the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The DOT order and NOFO outline details regarding what types of airports and projects are eligible for a grant, including: 
 
•    Only public entities may apply for and serve as the legal sponsor of a grant;
•    A community may only have one SCASDP grant at a time;
•    The airport serving the community may not be larger than a small hub airport;
•    A community may not receive a new grant to support the same project more than once in a 5-year period;
•    Airport capital improvement projects are ineligible for funding under the program; and
•    Small communities currently receiving subsidized air service under the Essential Air Service (EAS), or Alternative EAS program, will not be considered eligible for these grants.
 
For complete details about airport and project eligibility, as well as the application process, please review the DOT’s grant opportunity announcement and NOFO.