Proposed Cut in Funds Concerns Venango Airport Manager

February 11, 2004

Proposed Cut in Funds Concerns Venango Airport Manager
Oil City Derrick, PA

Uncertainty surrounding federal funding has left a bad
but familiar feeling with the manager of Venango
Regional Airport. 

O.C. Bell has been at the helm of the Franklin airport
since May, and he has frequently heard during these
last nine months that funding for small, rural
airports like Venango Regional is in jeopardy. 

The latest threat to crucial funding for Venango
Regional and other small airports is included in the
White House's 2005 fiscal year budget. If the spending
plan is approved in its current form, funding under
the Essential Air Service program would be cut from
$113 million to $50 million. 

Venango Regional is one of 23 airports within 100
miles of a hub that would not be eligible for any EAS
flight aid. The local airport is about 86 miles from
its hub in Pittsburgh. 

Without the funding, smaller airports may be forced to
eliminate commuter air service to larger hubs, said
Paul Feenstra a spokesman for Congressman John
Peterson, R-Pa. Peterson has criticized that aspect of
President Bush's budget and said he would work to see
the funding restored. 

"This could force many rural airports to close their
doors," Feenstra said. 

Cutting a few hundred thousand dollars that go to a
small, rural community like Franklin, which is looking
to rebuild itself, seems ridiculous and would have a
strong, negative impact on the area, Bell said. 

"The impact of the commuter service would be on the
community itself," Bell said. 

Feenstra agreed. 

"To lose the entire Essential Air Service funding
would just be tragic for the (Venango Regional)
airport," Feenstra said. 

The proposed slash in EAS funding is "much more
drastic" than past proposals, Feenstra said. But he is
confident Peterson will "be able to stave off this
latest attempt." 

Peterson's support makes Bell hopeful the airport will
keep its EAS funding. Venango Regional is a vital part
of the community, he said. 

About 500 passengers filter through Venango Regional
each month. The airport has three daily non-stop
flights to Pittsburgh Monday through Friday, two
Saturday flights and one on Sunday. 

"The airport here in Franklin truly is a regional
airport," Bell said. It has highway access to and from
a market area that includes Meadville, Mercer,
Slippery Rock, Titusville and other surrounding
cities, Bell said. 

The airport is valuable to the entire region, and its
proponents will do everything they can to make sure it
stays, Bell said. 

"We're still fighting the battle," he said.



 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************