USCTA Alert

June 4, 2026

 
Air Service Committee Vice-Chair Shawn Dobberstein, Executive Director of the Fargo Airport Authority, testified on behalf of AAAE. Other witnesses included Faye Malarkey Black, President and CEO of the Regional Airlines Association; Derrick Collins, Director of Physical Infrastructure at GAO; and Gregory Pecoraro, President and CEO of NASAO. The witnesses unanimously agreed on both the challenges and opportunities for enhancing rural air service, through support for rural air service grant programs, workforce development initiatives, and infrastructure investment, among other topics discussed.
 
In their opening statements, Committee leaders highlighted the bipartisan importance of small and rural airports, with Chairman Graves and Subcommittee Chairman Nehls emphasizing FAA Reauthorization implementation, aviation infrastructure, modernization and the economic value of airports, while Ranking Member Larsen highlighted airports as local economic engines that support jobs, businesses and investment. Ranking Member Carson also pointed to provisions in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act that preserved EAS, increased SCASDP authorization levels and boosted AIP funding to $4 billion annually.
 
Testifying on behalf of AAAE, Dobberstein emphasized rural air service’s economic importance, supporting jobs, attracting business, connecting residents to specialized care, and linking small communities to larger hubs, while also warning against neglecting rural airports as the National Airspace System modernizes and new technologies integrate. He identified several challenges for rural aviation, including slower post-pandemic recovery, localized pilot shortages, changing carrier economics, reduced availability of smaller regional aircraft, and up-gauging to larger aircraft with fewer frequencies. He also noted high jet fuel prices and capacity constraints at major airports disproportionately affect smaller communities. Dobberstein warned that the expiration of IIJA aviation funding at the end of FY2026 would create a $4 billion annual funding cliff, particularly impacting smaller airports with limited capital access.
 
Dobberstein urged Congress to protect and strengthen rural aviation connectivity by fully funding the Essential Air Service program, expanding the Small Community Air Service Development Program, investing in rural aviation infrastructure, supporting the FAA Contract Tower Program, continuing aviation workforce development, and modernizing the ATC system. The witnesses echoed the need to address these systemic challenges, emphasizing the importance of sustained attention from Congress, DOT, FAA, states, airports, and air carriers.
 
Contract Towers: During today’s session, other witnesses and lawmakers highlighted the value of FCT program. Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) discussed the need to equip contract towers with situational awareness technology. She also outlined H.R. 8597 – a USCTA-backed bill that she and Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) recently introduced that would authorize funding to acquire, install, and operate Airborne Position Reference Tools (APRT) at contract towers that lack STARS systems.
 
“Unfortunately, many of these contract towers lack access to real time situational awareness tools that are now the standard at the larger airports, and that enhance the controllers' visibility of aircraft operations,” Gillen said. “Last month, my colleague, Congressman Begich, and I worked together to introduce the bipartisan Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act, which would help close this gap by requiring the FAA to acquire and install these tools at contract towers and establish a training program to ensure controllers can effectively integrate and use them.”
 
Regional Airline Association President and CEO Faye Malarkey Black also urged lawmakers to pass the bipartisan APRT legislation and pointed out that many of her members provide service to contract tower airports. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced identical legislation in the Senate earlier the year. USCTA, RAA, and other aviation stakeholders have been working closely with those offices to advance that proposal while trying to secure federal funds for APRT in the appropriations process.
 
Related Information:

Shawn Dobberstein's testimony

Video from today's hearing