Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Thursday, July 14, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that he introduced legislation to allow for the continued expansion of small, growing airports across the country, including the Springfield-Branson Regional airport.

"This legislation will ensure that the ongoing expansion projects of smaller airports will continue in order to accommodate the growing demand for additional airfield and terminal capacity at these airports,” said Bond. “For airports like the Springfield-Branson Regional, this legislation is critical to the future of key projects, like the new Midfield Terminal.”

“This provision would allow us the flexibility to be able to use FAA discretionary grant funding for terminal development,” said Raeanne Presley, Chair of the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport. Board. “Development of the replacement terminal is our top priority for positioning our airport to serve the area¹s growth and economic development needs.”

Current law punishes small, growing airports like Springfield-Branson, by cutting off Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funds when an airport’s status changes from a non hub airport to a small hub primary airport. Bond’s legislation allows these small airports to remain eligible for federal aviation funds. Specifically, after an airport’s status changes, airport expansion projects can receive FAA funds for three fiscal years after the start of construction, or if the Secretary of Transportation determines continued eligibility is necessary until completion.

With a rapidly growing population rates, workforce, and tourism industry, southwest Missouri’s demand for commercial air service is far exceeding the current operational capacity at the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport. Expanded airfield and terminal capacity is needed to meet this growing demand. In addition to the inability of the old terminal to meet today’s passenger loads, causing long waiting periods for ticketing, security and baggage handling, the terminal is unable to accommodate current Transportation Security Administration functions in a manner that expedites travel.

Without Bond’s bill, which he plans to attach to a larger legislative measure to ensure swifter passage, the Springfield-Branson Airport would not be able to continue its terminal expansion project. In previous fiscal years Bond helped secure $7 million for the planning and design of the Midfield Terminal project. Bond stressed that the replacement terminal is key as the demand for air service in the region continues to grow.

Bond is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is chairman of the subcommittee that funds the Department of Transportation.