VA SB1417

Virginia Aviation Board must develop and review every five years a commercial air service plan for commercial air service airports, analyzing trends in air service, demographic and economic factors, stakeholder input, and establishing reasonable goals for commercial air service.

Board must submit an annual report by November 1 to the Governor and General Assembly detailing the use of Commercial Airport Fund revenues from the previous fiscal year, including entitlement funds, discretionary funds for air carrier and reliever airports, and discretionary funds for general aviation airports.

Each air carrier airport must submit an annual plan to the Board for review and approval outlining its planned use of entitlement funds before those funds are released; the Board may withhold entitlement funds if the plan is not approved or if funds are used inconsistently with the approved plan.

State moneys allocated from the Commonwealth Airport Fund may not be used for operating costs (unless Board-approved) or for purposes related to supporting airline operations, whether directly or indirectly through grants, credit enhancements, or other means.

Prior to allocating funds, the Board must ensure requested funds are not inconsistent with the commercial air service plan and that no commercial service airport is penalized for failing to meet goals established in the plan.