Dickinson airport signs relief after amendment defeat

Talk about it

JAMESTOWN — Airport officials in Jamestown are breathing a sigh of relief after an amendment to repeal the Essential Air Services Act was defeated in the U.S. Senate Thursday. EAS provides subsidies to airlines serving more than 100 airports around the United States including Devils Lake, Dickinson and Jamestown in North Dakota. The repeal of the EAS program could eliminate or reduce commercial flights to the communities.

The amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization was tabled by a vote of 61-38. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., was one of 13 Republicans who joined Democrats in tabling the issue sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The FAA reauthorization then passed the Senate by an 87-8 margin.

The EAS program allocates a $1.9 million annual subsidy to Delta Airlines for providing two round trip flights between Jamestown and Minneapolis each day. With the Jamestown Regional Airport hoping to see 5,000 passengers this year the subsidy amounts to about $380 per person flying from Jamestown.

“The EAS program is vital for the Jamestown airport,” said Jim Boyd, president of the Jamestown Regional Airport Authority. “We had hoped to wean ourselves off it but we’re a few years away from that.”

Boyd said the contracts are issued in two-year cycles with the current Jamestown contract expiring Sept. 30.

“We hope to continue the program for the next years,” he said. “From our perspective we desperately need assistance to build our ridership.”

The McCain amendment in the Senate was not the only threat to the EAS program.

A House bill that passed the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week includes a “sunset clause” of Oct. 1, 2013, for the EAS program in the lower 48 states. The EAS program would continue in Alaska and Hawaii. The EAS clause is part of the House version of the FAA reauthorization.

“The FAA bill vote in the House is a month or more off,” said Alee Lockman, press secretary for Rep. Rick Berg, R-N.D. “The congressman is very concerned about EAS and will look into the bill over the next month.”

What effect a termination of the EAS program would have on aviation in North Dakota is purely speculation, according to Brad Fields, aviation planner for the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission.

“We think if EAS is repealed it could lead to a reduction or elimination of services to those airports,” he said. “Jamestown and Devils Lake would have a hard time providing service without the subsidy.”

For local officials the debate is about more than maintaining commercial air service in Jamestown.

“The essence of EAS for Jamestown is it attracts private investment to the community,” said Mathew Leitner, Jamestown airport manager. “That creates jobs.”

The national cost of the EAS program outside Alaska is $158 million per year. Jamestown receives $1.9 million per year, Devils Lake $1.4 million and Dickinson $2.3 million.

Norman writes for The Jamestown Sun, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: news, airport