Air service at Massena and Ogdensburg could be threatened by cuts to the Essential Air Service program proposed by the Republican administration.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, says he is launching “a push to protect important air service in Upstate New York from proposed cuts.”

EAS grants subsidize air service on a per-passenger basis to and from small airports throughout the United States. They serve to ensure residents and businesses in these cities have air travel options by providing funding to airlines and airports to keep their flights running.

The president’s budget would cut EAS funding by $175 million next year. By the end of 2016, Massena served 10,554 passengers and Ogdensburg served 8,233.

“Without these airports … passengers in Massena would have to travel as much as 256 miles to access air service,” Schumer said.

The Essential Air Service program was developed after the airline industry was deregulated in 1978. Deregulation gave airlines the freedom to decide which markets to serve and how much to charge for that service. This led to a scarcity of air service in many communities across the country where operating costs were higher and populations were smaller and less dense, Schumer said. The EAS program was put in to place to guarantee air service to these underserved communities. EAS ensures commuter airlines across the country serve approximately 140 rural communities, including seven communities in Upstate New York. Without EAS, there would likely be no scheduled air service to Jamestown, Watertown, Massena, Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, forcing residents to travel long distances to access air service and eliminating hundreds of jobs, according to Schumer.

“This cut is reckless and counterproductive and would virtually eliminate the vital EAS Program and would jeopardize air service for rural communities across the country, especially in Upstate New York. There is no question about it - access to air travel is good for businesses, good for jobs, good for the middle class and good for financial health of the community," Schumer said in a prepared statement. “Small local airports like Jamestown, Massena, Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake and Watertown are vital to the communities they serve. Rather than cutting this critical funding the administration should be making sure that small airports can continue to support local residents and regional development. Let me be clear, I will do all in my power to make sure these harmful cuts to Upstate airports will never fly. I will fight tooth and nail to protect this critical federal investment until these cuts are grounded permanently.”