Federal funding approved to keep rural airports running amid government shutdown

Air travel at three rural North Dakota airports supported by a federal program will continue despite the government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Transportation secured an additional $41 million on Wednesday to keep the Essential Air Service program operating through Nov. 2. The program, which was set to run out of funding Sunday, supports air travel from Dickinson, Jamestown and Devils Lake.

“As of right now, all passengers can be assured for the very near future that air service will continue at all of our airports in North Dakota,” said Kyle Wanner, director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission.

The Essential Air Service program was designed to help rural communities connect to a larger region and provided money to airlines on routes that tend to have fewer passengers, he said.

“Having air service within these communities is essential for businesses to want to come into these locations and for these communities to grow,” Wanner said. 

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If the government shutdown continues past Nov. 2, Wanner said he expects SkyWest, an airline headquartered in Utah that provides service to North Dakota’s rural airports, will continue operations.

In a statement to the North Dakota Monitor on Wednesday, SkyWest said it will work with each community in the event of a longer-term government shutdown.

“It is our intent to honor our service commitments, including those under the federal EAS program who rely on SkyWest’s reliable air service as an essential economic lifeline,” the airline said in a statement.

Katie Hemmer, director of the Jamestown Regional Airport, said commercial airline service in Jamestown would not exist without the federal program.

“It really is in its title, essential,” Hemmer said. “It’s what creates this connection for all rural areas, not just North Dakota.”

Airline carriers that use Essential Air Service program subsidies have a 90-day reimbursement window for expenses that provide a cushion for any funding lapses, Hemmer said.

She said she also worries about Jamestown’s Transportation Safety Administration employees being forced to work without pay during the shutdown. However, she said she is grateful to see the state is stepping in with its Furloughed Federal Employee Relief Program to offer low-interest loans to those who lose wages during the shutdown.

“Especially in North Dakota, we have such low unemployment and it is very difficult to keep entities like TSA staffed,” Hemmer said.

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In a statement, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the near lapse in funding for rural air service is  another reason Senate Democrats should reopen the government.

“Thankfully, the Trump administration was able to secure additional funding to sustain the EAS program for now,” Hoeven said. “We appreciate the EAS carriers, including SkyWest, for their commitment to maintain their service to the Dickinson, Jamestown and Devils Lake communities while they navigate this uncertainty.”

North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling can be reached at [email protected].