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VIENNA -- Ohio's two U.S. senators introduced a companion bill in the upper chamber of Congress to designate the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport as a "primary airport" to make it eligible for additional federal funding.
The legislation proposed Friday by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, and J.D. Vance, R-Cincinnati, is identical to a bill introduced April 10 by the two House members who represent the Mahoning Valley: U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, whose district includes Mahoning and Columbiana counties, and U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, whose district includes Trumbull County, where the airport is located.
Both bills are one sentence in length. They seek to amend the United States Code by adding the public airports with military use section that "notwithstanding any other provision of law, a public airport in use by an air reserve station shall be considered a primary airport for purpose of this chapter."
Because Youngstown-Warren isn't designated as a primary airport by the FAA, it misses out on some federal funding for maintenance, planning and development even though the adjacent Youngstown Air Reserve Station uses the runways. The airport is also used by private, charter and corporate airplanes.
When the Vienna airport lost its last commercial air service, Allegiant Air, in January 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration removed the primary airport designation.
The Western Reserve Port Authority, which runs the airport, hasn't been able to get another commercial airline to come to the location.
Youngstown-Warren is the only commercial airport in the country with an air reserve station that doesn't have commercial air service.
"Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is strategically located for Youngstown-area businesses and visitors to easily access the greater northeast Ohio region and highlights how important the Mahoning Valley is to our state and our economy," Brown said.
He added: "This designation would improve the efficiency and affordability of the airport so it can serve as a reliable option for air travelers in the Mahoning Valley and supporting our national defense through the presence of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station."
Vance said the airport and YARS "have an extremely positive impact on the Mahoning Valley and I was grateful for the opportunity to see that first-hand during my visit earlier this year. With this designation, our bill would allow the airport to improve service and expand their capabilities. I'm proud to support this bipartisan proposal."
Anthony Trevena, WRPA executive director, said the primary airport designation "would significantly boost the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport's growth and development. I am confident that this important step will not only enhance our airport's capabilities, but also create substantial economic opportunities for the entire region."
Johnson and former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, introduced the same legislation in March 2022 that never received a vote in Congress.
dskolnick@vindy.com
dskolnick@tribtoday.com