The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure voted to make the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport a “primary airport,” which would make it eligible for additional federal funding.

The committee included the provision for the Vienna airport in a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration and aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years. It was approved in a 63-0 vote Wednesday.

The designation still needs to get approval from the full House as well as the Senate.

The FAA reauthorization bill could be a standalone bill or put into another package moving through Congress.

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, and J.D. Vance, R-Cincinnati, introduced companion legislation in the upper chamber in April for the airport to get the designation. The bill is in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for consideration.

REACTIONS

“Restoring the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and the Youngstown Air Reserve Station’s primary airport status will help bolster economic growth, increase military readiness and fulfill critical infrastructure needs on the airbase,” said U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, whose district includes Trumbull County.

Joyce, R-Bainbridge, sponsored the primary airport legislation with U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, who represents Mahoning and Columbiana counties.

Joyce said he was “proud to see this legislation pass through” the committee “to ensure the men and women on our air base have the resources they need to perform their duties efficiently and effectively while supporting economic growth in the Mahoning Valley.”

Johnson said: “Our region would greatly benefit from this designation, and I look forward to continuing the effort to get this legislation across the finish line — to promote economic growth and strengthen defense opportunities within the Mahoning Valley.”

Without the designation, the airport is missing out on additional FAA funding for maintenance, planning and development. The adjacent Youngstown Air Reserve Station uses the runways.

When the airport lost its last commercial air service, Allegiant Air, in January 2018, the FAA removed the primary airport designation.

Youngstown-Warren is the only commercial airport in the country with an air reserve station that doesn’t have commercial air service.

OHIO BUDGET

Meanwhile, the Ohio Senate approved its version of the state budget Thursday that includes $3 million for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport to use as a local match to access greater federal funds for improvements.

State Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, convinced her party’s leadership to restore the $3 million that had been removed by the Senate as part of a plan to eliminate all one-time funding for airports.

The $3 million was in the budget bill already approved by the state House.

The bills from the House and the Senate need to be reconciled and then signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine.

O’Brien, whose district includes Trumbull County, said she is confident the funding for the airport will get final approval.

The airport received a $5 million federal earmark last year from then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, and is seeking an $8 million earmark through Brown. The $13 million combined amount would fund resurfacing the airport’s main runway, said Anthony Trevena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, which operates the airport.

The airport is required to come up with a 10 percent match, which would come from the $3 million in state funds, Trevena said.

The airport also is applying for an $8 million federal grant to resurface its main taxiway, he said.

The state funds would go toward the 10 percent match for that project, Trevena said.

The need for the improvements takes on greater importance with eight new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft coming to YARS, Trevena said. The planes cost about $1 billion in total.

The base will get two planes about a year from now. Then there will be a 14-month gap before the next plane arrives. After that, a new plane will be delivered every other month until all eight are at the base.

Overall, it will take about three years for all eight planes to be stationed at YARS.