Bush Budget Cuts EAS Funding, ART and OGS Face Axe

Channel 50 WWTI, Watertown:

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Watertown, Ogdensburg airports would lose funding under Bush budget

Last Update: 4/24 2:28 pm

The Watertown and Ogdensburg airports would probably lose funding for Essential Air Service under President Bush's 2009 budget proposal.

The Bush Budget would cut funding for the EAS program to $50 million. That's roughly how much the government collects from foreign airlines for their use of U.S. air space.

The proposal would rank rural airports based on their remoteness. The highest ranking would get their EAS funding.

U.S. Department of Transportation calculations say the $50 million would fund about the top 73 most-remote airports.

Massena falls in the top 73, at number 66. However Watertown, at 100 and Ogdensburg, at 81 wouldn't make the cut, according to D.O.T. calculations. [Full Article]

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