"Crescent City airport EAS funding to continue"

Thursday, July 24, 2003

Crescent City airport funding to continue
The Eureka (CA) Times-Standard


CRESCENT CITY -- Funding for Del Norte County Airport through the federal
Essential Air Service program will continue, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson's
office announced Tuesday from Washington, D.C. Jack McNamara Field is
specifically listed by the House Appropriations Committee on Transportation
in their fiscal year 2004 appropriations legislation.

"The Crescent City Airport provides a critical link between the residents of
Del Norte County and major hub airports in San Francisco and Sacramento,"
Thompson said. "Funding through the Essential Air Service program is crucial
in order to maintain commercial air service out of Del Norte County.
Currently, over 10,000 passengers per year rely on air transportation out of
the region."

The Essential Air Service program helps commuter airlines provide service to
approximately 100 rural communities nationwide that would not otherwise have
commercial air service. Funding goes directly to the air carriers.

Service to Crescent City is provided by United Express, operated by SkyWest,
with daily flights to Sacramento and San Francisco.

In preliminary announcements, Jack McNamara Field was about the third lowest
on the list of airports receiving support, said Wilma Madden, Del Norte
County Planning Department administrative assistant. The amount requested
for appropriation was $333,717, she said.

This funding is "absolutely critical," she said. "I don't see that a
commercial air carrier could make enough money otherwise."

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