Feds can't ignore progress taking place at the airport

Once again, the U.S. government is being asked to provide a relatively small amount of money to help the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport persuade a commercial airline to offer regular service.
And once again, we find ourselves making the same argument we made several years ago: The airport meets all the criteria established by the Department of Transportation to win a Small Community Air Service Development Program.
In 2002, the DOT's refusal to approve the 1 million grant sought by the Western Reserve Port Authority resulted in Delta Airlines' withdrawing its interest in providing regularly scheduled commercial flights.
The last time there were such flights at the regional airport was September 2002.
Now, the port authority is seeking 800,000 under the Small Community Air Service program -- with an even stronger case for approval.
Since May 2006 when Allegiant Air began regularly scheduled flights to Sanford, Fla., twice a week, the passenger count at the Youngstown-Warren airport has topped 12,000. The federal government's standard for grant eligibility is 10,000.
Indeed, there is serious talk about Allegiant offering service to Las Vegas. There already are charter flights to Atlantic City.
In the grant application for the 800,000 -- the money would be used to help an airline launch its service for local business travelers and others -- one of the most striking arguments put forth is this: Delphi Packard Electric has said that one of the reasons it moved its top executives in global operations from Warren to Streetsboro was proximity to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Delphi Packard Electric's roots in the Mahoning Valley run deep, so there is cause for concern when jobs are lost for reasons other than cheap labor overseas.
After all, had the FAA approved the 1 million grant five years ago, Delta Airlines would now be providing regular service to a major hub.
Regional effort
The new application has been submitted by the port authority in conjunction with several other entities in the Valley, including the Mahoning and Trumbull county governments and the Regional Chamber.
Such participation is a clear indication that landing a commercial airline offering regularly scheduled service is not just about the economic viability of the airport, but about the revitalization of the Valley.
Companies looking to locate in a region give great importance to modes of transportation. This is especially true of those firms that have operations scattered around the country and even around the world.
In 2002, a total of 20 million was allocated to airports around the country to provide incentives to airlines. The Akron-Canton Regional Airport received 950,000. In other words, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is simply seeking its fair share.
In the grant application, the port authority offers the following justification: "Air travelers within the community have changed their behavior in the past five years" and a new airline could tap into a local business market that could account for as many as a half-million arriving and departing passengers annually.
The region does have a trump card this year that it did not have in 2004, namely, Congressman Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th. Ryan is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and as such has a say in the funding levels for federal departments.
Given Ryan's commitment to the airport and also to the adjacent Air Force Reserve Station, we are confident that he will use his influence to help the Department of Transportation see the light with regard to the 800,000 application.