Valley Airports To Receive Millions In Federal Funding
April 17, 2020
Valley Airports To Receive Millions In Federal Funding
By JESSICA WETZLER
Daily News-Record 4/16/20
When Congress passed the more than $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, it included more than $ 309 million in federal funding for 47 airports across the commonwealth, including two Valley airports.
As part of the CARES Act, the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave will receive more than $2.6 million, while the Luray Caverns Airport is expected to receive $30,000.
The funding is to provide economic relief for airports to meet ongoing needs, including managing operations and maintenance, retaining employees and covering costs for cleaning supplies.
“The Shenandoah Valley Airport, like many airports around the country, are critical in their role of supporting travel and movement of essential personnel and equipment related to supply chains, medical and safety during the current crisis and will continue to play that important role during recovery,” said Gregory Campbell, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.
Campbell said the aviation system as a whole has experienced unprecedented reductions in traffic and revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Gov. Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order, the Weyers Cave airport had been seeing a “significant drop off” in passenger traffic, according to Campbell, showing rates consistent with what has been seen on the national level. U. S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both D- Va., said in a press release Tuesday that the COVID-19 crisis has affected all aspects of the economy, with airports being no exception.
“In fact, the necessary precautions we have taken to slow the spread of the virus have hit our airports especially hard,” the senators said. “That’s why we’re glad to know that airports across Virginia will be able to count on some economic relief so that they can continue critical safety projects.”
Kaine and Warner said the funding would also help make sure that once the crisis is over, airports can safely resume serving Virginians and individuals traveling in and out of the commonwealth.
Campbell said the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission plans to work with the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to use the funds primarily to offset significant reductions in revenue the airport has experienced, as well as ongoing operational costs to maintain operational continuity and readiness to meet the needs of the community and region, to the extent allowed by the act.
Efforts to reach the Luray Caverns Airport for comment were unsuccessful.
By JESSICA WETZLER
Daily News-Record 4/16/20
When Congress passed the more than $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, it included more than $ 309 million in federal funding for 47 airports across the commonwealth, including two Valley airports.
As part of the CARES Act, the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave will receive more than $2.6 million, while the Luray Caverns Airport is expected to receive $30,000.
The funding is to provide economic relief for airports to meet ongoing needs, including managing operations and maintenance, retaining employees and covering costs for cleaning supplies.
“The Shenandoah Valley Airport, like many airports around the country, are critical in their role of supporting travel and movement of essential personnel and equipment related to supply chains, medical and safety during the current crisis and will continue to play that important role during recovery,” said Gregory Campbell, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.
Campbell said the aviation system as a whole has experienced unprecedented reductions in traffic and revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Gov. Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order, the Weyers Cave airport had been seeing a “significant drop off” in passenger traffic, according to Campbell, showing rates consistent with what has been seen on the national level. U. S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both D- Va., said in a press release Tuesday that the COVID-19 crisis has affected all aspects of the economy, with airports being no exception.
“In fact, the necessary precautions we have taken to slow the spread of the virus have hit our airports especially hard,” the senators said. “That’s why we’re glad to know that airports across Virginia will be able to count on some economic relief so that they can continue critical safety projects.”
Kaine and Warner said the funding would also help make sure that once the crisis is over, airports can safely resume serving Virginians and individuals traveling in and out of the commonwealth.
Campbell said the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission plans to work with the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to use the funds primarily to offset significant reductions in revenue the airport has experienced, as well as ongoing operational costs to maintain operational continuity and readiness to meet the needs of the community and region, to the extent allowed by the act.
Efforts to reach the Luray Caverns Airport for comment were unsuccessful.
