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Essential Air Service Funded Through 2015

By Charlie Keegan

Story Created: Jan 31, 2012 at 9:48 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 31, 2012 at 11:11 PM MDT

After a series of short-term extensions, essential air service in the United States is funded through 2015.

U.S. house and senate members reached an agreement Tuesday in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Compromise. The bill will subsidize air service in rural communities.

Essential air service connects seven Montana towns to Billings with daily flights. Gulf Stream International has been operating the service in Montana since May of 2011.

Senator Max Baucus, a member of the Senate Essential Air Service Caucus, says essential air service is more important than ever to eastern Montana because of Bakken oil exploration. “Which is very good for Montana, it is jobs. But it's pounding the roads and it's putting a lot of pressure on the communities of eastern Montana. We need air service in and out to make full use of the Bakken formation,” he explains.

Essential air service serves Havre, Lewistown, Miles City, Wolf Point, Glendive, Glasgow and Sidney.

The reauthorization compromise also included funding for the airport improvement program.

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