The Aviation Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), will hold a hearing next week to examine the state of air service to small and rural U.S. communities and explore ways to provide continued and improved air services to these areas of the country.
Airports and air operators across the United States help connect large and small communities, create jobs, and contribute significant economic output. Airports are not only the gateway for millions of passengers who fly commercially, they are an important staging point for emergency services, law enforcement, and disaster relief, as well as transporting cargo and providing reliever runways if necessary. Airports are life lines that connect important commercial services to residents in rural communities all across the country.
The hearing, entitled “Air Service to Small and Rural Communities," is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on April 30, 2014 in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
Witnesses:
The Honorable Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation
Dr. Gerald L. Dillingham, Director of Civil Aviation Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office
Captain Lee Moak, President, Air Line Pilots Association
Mr. Bryan K. Bedford, President & CEO, Republic Airways Holdings
Mr. Dan E. Mann, Executive Director, Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Mr. Brian L. Sprenger, Airport Director, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
More information about the hearing, including testimony, additional background information, and live webcast, will be posted here as it becomes available.
Source: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
