VAOC Supports Bill to Provide More Oversight for Virginia Airport Entitlement Funds

Jan. 31, 2017

After recent meetings with Virginia Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne, the Virginia Airport Operators Council (VAOC) supports the creation of a Commercial Air Service Plan as proposed by Sen. Steve Newman (Senate District 23) in a substitute Senate Bill No. 1417 (SB1417) as a means to provide additional oversight of the use and disbursement of annual state entitlement funds provided to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s commercial service airports.

Entitlement funding via the Commonwealth Airport Fund (CAF) is a financial resource for airport programs established and administered by the Virginia Aviation Board (VAB) and the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV). The Code of Virginia specifies that CAF resources shall be allocated to airports on the basis of their service role as identified in the Virginia Transportation System Plan (VATSP). Entitlement funds are made available from the CAF and are used under the Airport Capital Program. State entitlement funds are allocated annually to sponsors of airports that have scheduled air carrier service in accordance with the Code of Virginia 58.1-638.A3.

Substitute SB1417, as proposed by Sen. Newman and supported by the administration of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, better defines the use of Commonwealth-provided funding for airport development taking into account trends in commercial air service, demographics, and economic development across Virginia, and assures that requested funds are used in a manner consistent with goals for commercial air service.

Furthermore, VAOC supports the statement attributed to Secretary Layne as noted in the Jan. 27, edition of the Daily Press (“State cuts funding to airport in response to People Express loan”): Layne said legislation pending before the General Assembly is meant to tighten state oversight of aviation funds to make sure the roughly $24 million a year budgeted for airport improvements is used in the most effective way possible.