FAA bill could limit Ely air service

WASHINGTON -- Future commercial air service out of White Pine County Airport in Ely may be imperiled by legislation that cleared Congress on Monday.

The Senate voted, 75-20, to approve a four-year, $63.6 billion Federal Aviation Administration bill Monday that tightens eligibility rules for the Transportation Department's Essential Air Service program.

Under the bill, an airport no longer would be able to participate in the program if the per passenger subsidy exceeds $1,000. Commercial flights from the rural Nevada airport, provided by Great Lakes Airlines, surpass that figure.

Patrice Ly, the airport's manager, and James Adams, who manages Ely's Great Lakes Airlines station, had no comment. They were still reviewing the legislation.

Brian Sowa, a spokesman for the Rural Air Service Alliance, said Monday that it appeared Ely could be knocked out of the program under the legislation.

But, he said, that would not happen until after the current contract expires in September. The legislation does allow for the Transportation Secretary to waive the restriction.

Sen. Nelson Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said Monday that the bill strikes a balance between the need to cut federal spending and preserve rural access to air transportation. The $1,000 limit, he said, was sensible.

"That much money going into a couple of passengers is just ridiculous," Rockefeller said.

Rockefeller, who leads the Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee, was a key negotiator with the House over a final version of the legislation.

Passage of the bill ends an impasse over FAA reauthorization. The agency has been operating under 23 temporary extensions since the last authorization bill expired nearly four years ago.

The agency was partially shut down for two weeks in the summer when Congress failed to approve a 22nd extension because of disputes over the rural subsidy and organized labor.

That partial shutdown also imposed a temporary stoppage on construction of the new control tower at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

Work resumed on schedule after Congress approved a temporary extension in September.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the bill would give FAA "the stability it needs to properly maintain a world-class air travel system."

Reid said the bill would allow FAA to upgrade the nation's air-traffic control system and invest in airports and runways across the nation.

Reid and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., voted for the bill.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau reporter Peter Urban at purban@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.