Letter to Brooke Chapman, Associate Director of Small Community Air Service Development - Expand Air Service At Elmira Corning Regional Airport

Letter

Dear Ms. Chapman,

I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by Elmira Corning Regional Airport (ELM) for funding through the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Such funding will enable airport administration to build upon the strong work already done to establish ELM as a regional air service hub, by attracting a sustainable and highly desirable new service for the airport, that will expand access to destinations, increase passenger utilization and support the needs of existing business.

Elmira Corning Regional Airport, located in New York's Chemung County, is a municipally owned and operated facility that has served the Southern Tier of Central New York and Northern Tier of Central Pennsylvania since 1945. The airport offers a convenient location, directly off of I-86, a major interstate. This coupled with its robust aeronautical infrastructure, and increases in service options has resulted in growth of the facility and utilization. In 11 years, Elmira Corning Regional Airport has seen its enplanements nearly double, boasting over 312,000 passengers annually. Presently, the airport is undergoing an ambitious $58M terminal renovation that will increase capacity and further enhance the passenger experience.

The Elmira Corning Regional Airport is an essential component of the fabric of the region. It supports business and leisure travelers and offers convenient access to major urban areas. Larger airports in major urban centers like Rochester, Syracuse or Buffalo require over two hour drives to access, and therefore this airport has become a critical component to the region's economy and quality of life. The Elmira Corning area is home to many major employers, companies of all sizes including the headquarters of Corning Inc., a Fortune 500 company. Access to reliable and varied air service is essential to the economic vitality of the region, ensuring that existing business is able to thrive and is a major tool to recruit new opportunity for continued growth.

The SCASDP grant will provide Chemung County the opportunity for a revenue guarantee in support of new regional jet service from Elmira Corning Regional Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), connecting the region to new U.S. domestic markets as well as a significant number of international destinations, many of which are of critical importance to regional industry. Chemung County has assembled a consortium of support and commitment from many area stakeholders, all invested in seeing local air service capacity increase. This community collaboration is evidenced by the commitments of $177,500 in community guarantees, County administration has been able to raise, to augment a SCADSP grant.

I ask that you please give this application your full consideration. A SCASDP grant will enable Chemung County to continue to provide reliable air service to the region. Should you have any questions or need further info information please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

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