The U.S. Department of Transportation's recently announced $69 million in additional payroll protection support will protect 31,000 aviation manufacturing jobs nationwide and support the industry's "robust recovery," transportation's secretary said in a news release.
The amount includes an additional $69 million in awards from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan that will keep aviation manufacturing workers employed.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
| transportation.gov/
"The aviation industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and we have taken action to support and protect the jobs of aviation manufacturing workers," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the news release. "The critical American Rescue Plan funding announced today is protecting tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs, supporting hundreds of small businesses and helping keep America's aviation industry strong as it continues its robust recovery."
DOT, through its Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program, plans to provide about $9 million in awards to 127 aviation manufacturing and repair businesses, according to the news release. Of the 593 companies that have already received awards through the program, 393 employ fewer than 100. Those companies required government assistance to remain in business during the pandemic when the entire airline industry went into a slump.
Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program funds are to cover half of payroll for eligible manufacturing and repair employees. Among the largest awards thus far has been Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit Aerosystems Holdings which received more than $75 million to preserve more than 3200 jobs; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based TDY Industries which received more than $15 million to preserve more than 800 jobs; and Little Ferry, New Jersey-based Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. which received more than $12.5 million to preserve almost 500 jobs.
DOT's newly announced awards, combined with the prior funding announced in September and November, bring the total thus far to $673 million spent on protecting aviation manufacturing jobs.
"Note that after the first and second rounds of funding were announced, there were a few changes in individual awards," the news release said. "As with any financial assistance program, the number of recipients and total volume of funding awarded is subject to change after announcements are made."
In January 2021, Biden signed Executive Order 14002, called the "Economic Relief Related to the COVID 19 Pandemic," giving relief to individuals, families and small businesses, as well as to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
DOT, which has tracked relief programs supporting communities as the pandemic appears to decline, also provides information about those programs on its website.
