Department of Transportation Small Community Air Service Development Program

1. (a) The airport serving the community or consortium is not larger than a small hub airport, according to FAA hub classifications effective on the date of service of this Order, or
(b) As of calendar year 1997, the airport serving the community or consortium was not larger than a small hub airport, and
2. It has insufficient air carrier service or unreasonably high air fares; and
3. The airport serving the community presents characteristics, such as geographic diversity or unique circumstances that demonstrate the need for, and feasibility of, grant assistance from the Small Community Program.

No more than four communities or consortia of communities, or a combination thereof, from the same State may be selected to participate in the program in any fiscal year. No more than 40 communities or consortia of communities, or a combination thereof, may be selected to participate in the program in each year for which the funds are appropriated.

Consortium applications: Both individual communities and consortia of communities are eligible for SCASDP funds. An application from a consortium of communities must be one that seeks to facilitate the efforts of the communities working together toward one joint grant project, with one joint objective, including the establishment of one entity to ensure that the joint objective is accomplished.

Multiple applications prohibited: A community may file only one application for a grant, either individually or as part of a consortium.

Communities without existing air service: Communities that do not currently have commercial air service are eligible for SCASDP funds.

Essential Air Service communities: Small communities that meet the basic SCASDP criteria and currently receive subsidized air service under the Essential Air Service (“EAS”) program are eligible to apply for SCASDP funds. However, grant awards to EAS-subsidized communities are limited to marketing or promotion projects that support existing or newly subsidized EAS. Grant funds will not be authorized for EAS-subsidized communities to support any new competing air service. Furthermore, no funds will be authorized to support additional flights by EAS carriers or changes to those carriers’ existing schedules. These restrictions are necessary to avoid conflicts with the mandate of the EAS program.

Alternate Essential Air Service communities: Likewise, small communities that meet the basic SCASDP criteria and currently receive assistance under the Alternate Essential Air Service Pilot Program (“Alternate EAS Pilot Program”) (49 U.S.C. § 41745(a)) are eligible to apply for SCASDP funds. Since the Alternate EAS Pilot Program is a substitute/alternative to traditional EAS, we would consider applications from communities receiving assistance under 49 U.S.C. § 41745(a) only for marketing or promotion projects; however, if the community is already receiving Department support for marketing projects, per the community’s proposal under the Alternate EAS Pilot Program, the community’s project would not be considered for a SCASDP grant.

The Small Community Program is authorized to receive appropriations under 49 U.S.C. § 41743(e)(2), as amended. Appropriations are provided for this program for award selection in FY 2016 pursuant to FAA 2012 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. No. 114-113). The Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2015 provides contract authority until March 31, 2016, for the Airport Improvement Program, which funds SCASDP. Therefore, subject to the availability of funding, the Department has up to $5 million available for FY 2016 grant awards to carry out this program. There is no other limitation on the amount of individual awards, and the amounts awarded will vary depending upon the features and merits of the selected proposals. In past years, the Department’s individual grant sizes have ranged from $20,000 to nearly $1.6 million. Funding amounts made available for reimbursement may be impacted by future limitations placed on the spending authority and appropriations enacted for the Department. OST cannot award grants until the enactment of authorizing legislation, an appropriations act, budget authority, and apportionment from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OST may, at its discretion, issue partial funding awards up to the level authorized and provided that the above conditions are met. Additional information on the budget process may be found in OMB A-11: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_default/.