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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2004

SCHUMER URGES JAMESTOWN RESIDENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW LOCAL AIRLINE

New airline Colgan Air will be introduced today at Chautauqua County Airport

Senator fought to protect federal funding for Essential Air Service, which is crucial to air service at airports like Chautauqua, and from which airlines such as Colgan Air can benefit

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged local residents to take advantage of the arrival of new local airline Colgan Air to the region. Schumer was in town to announce the beginning of service by Colgan Air between Jamestown and Pittsburgh.

"Having safe, quality air service shouldn't be a privilege reserved for a lucky few," Schumer said. "We've been pushing to bring more affordable air travel options to the region and the emergence of Colgan Air could be a real shot in the arm for Chautauqua County."

Colgan Air started service from the Jamestown Airport on October 3, 2004, and to date each flight has been nearly full. The airline was started by Charles Colgan over 30 years ago in Manassas, Virginia and in 1999 began operating as a US Express Carrier to hubs located in 35 cities and 11 states in the northeast. Colgan Air currently has hubs in Boston's Logan Airport, New York's LaGuardia Airport, Pittsburgh's International Airport, Reagan International Airport, and Dulles International Airport. In addition, the airline currently flies four 34-passenger planes from Jamestown to Pittsburgh, PA. One additional flight may be added in the fall, and in the spring Colgan's service will be re-evaluated to see if the addition of a 6th flight will be necessary.

ColganAir has been designated as a recipient of Essential Air Service (EAS) grants. EAS grants subsidize air service to and from small airports throughout the United States. They serve to ensure that residents and businesses in these cities have air travel options by providing funding to airlines and airports to keep their flights running. Since being elected to the Senate, Schumer has actively fought to protect the Essential Air Service program and to ensure that New York's small airports continue to benefit from it. In 2003, the Senate adopted a Schumer co-sponsored amendment that kept in place an increase of $63 million for the program, while eliminating FAA rules that would limit the number of cities per state that can use Essential Air Service. In addition, Schumer's measure opposed the FAA's plan to force local communities to match 10% of the cost if they are less that 100 miles from the closest hub airport. As a result of Schumer's efforts, this rule remains unenforced and unfunded.

Locally, Schumer has pushed his colleagues, US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and airline industry leaders to protect and expand the EAS program. Since 1999, Schumer has written on behalf of Ogdensburg, Massena, Watertown, Jamestown and other airports. Thanks to Schumer, New York remains one of the states with the most EAS communities and it receives more than $2.75 million dollars a year statewide.

Joining Schumer at the event was Chautauqua County Executive Mark Thomas, Rich Alexander of the Chautauqua County IDA, members of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, the Manufacturers Association of the Jamestown Area and Colgan Air, Inc.

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