Ohio senators urge others to back airport

The senators say the funding loss would hurt the airport's operations.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ohio's two U.S. senators urged their colleagues to retain a provision in a U.S. House bill that would avert an $850,000 federal funding loss for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
U.S. Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich, both Republicans, sent a letter to U.S. Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Sen. Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, the ranking Democrat on the committee, in support of the provision.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, had an amendment placed into the House's reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration that helps the local airport and 12 others nationwide that lost commercial flights after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks keep their federal funding for capital improvements. The bill passed the House, 418-8.
Difference in funds
Without the provision, the local airport, based in Vienna, would have received $150,000 for capital improvements. With the provision, the airport, which has no commercial flights, would receive $1 million, the same amount it received in the past. The provision changes the requirement on the number of passengers at an airport to receive the federal funding.
In their letter, Voinovich and DeWine wrote that the loss of $850,000 would "have a significant impact on the ability of the [airport] to continue operations."
The two cite the airport's importance to the operations of the adjacent Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which houses the 910th Airlift Wing and employs more than 2,000 people.
Ryan, along with U.S. Reps. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, and Steven C. LaTourette of Madison, R-14th, wrote a letter to House Transportation leaders urging their support in retaining the provision during negotiations with the Senate.
skolnick@vindy.com