Feb. 07--One signature.
That's all the Morgantown Airport needs, to know it has Essential Air Service (EAS) through 2015.
On Monday, the U.S. Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) act by a vote of 75-20. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, both D-W.Va., voted in favor of the bill.
On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill, 248-169. Rep. David McKinley RW.Va., Shelley Moore Capito, RW.Va., and Nick Rehall, D-W.Va., all voted for the bill.
The bill now heads to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Included in the bill is the criteria for funding EAS. A previous proposal outlined different criteria for funding and Morgantown would have lost its money. The EAS provides subsidies to airline companies that provide commercial air service in rural areas.
The act will extend FAA funding through 2015. The administration had been working on a series of short-term funding extension. The last long-term extension expired in 2007.
"It's time we create some stability in the aviation sector," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said during the Senate's floor debate. Hutchinson is the ranking member on the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee.
That committee's chair is Rock- efeller. He said he believes the bill strikes a balance between cutting spending and providing small areas access to the nation's aviation system.
Last week, Rockefeller said protecting Morgantown's funding was "everything to me."
Morgantown Airport Director Michael Clow said he was expecting the bill to pass the Senate, but he still wanted to see it happen. He spoke to The Dominion Post as the Senate debated the issue during the afternoon. He also used the cliche, "it's not over until the fat lady sings."
Clow said he was happy that the situation was pretty much over.
Now, Clow said, the airport can begin to work on other challenges. Those include trying to find funding to expand the runway and obtaining money to upkeep various infrastructure projects at the facility.
Copyright 2012 - The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
