To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to implement a pilot program to improve access to the national transportation system for small communities, and for other purposes.
Air Service Restoration Act - Amends Federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a five-year pilot aviation development program to be administered by a program director designated by the Secretary. Requires the program director to: (1) function as a facilitator between small communities and air carriers; (2) carry out a specified airline service restoration program; (3) ensure that the Bureau of Transportation Statistics collects data on passenger information to assess the service needs of small communities; (4) coordinate efforts with other Federal, State, and local agencies to increase the viability of service to small communities and the creation of aviation development zones; and (5) recommend policies to the Secretary and Congress that will ensure that small communities have access to quality, affordable air transportation services. Requires the program director to report annually to the Secretary and the Congress with respect to the availability of quality air transportation services to small communities.
(Sec. 5) Authorizes no more than 40 small communities or a consortia of small communities or a State to develop an assessment of air service requirements and submit it with an air service program proposal to the program director. Sets forth specified program requirements. Requires the program director to report annually to Congress on progress in expanding commercial aviation service to smaller communities. .
Requires the program director to establish a five-year pilot program to assist communities and States with inadequate access to the national transportation system to improve such access, including facilitating better link-ups to such system. Sets forth certain requirements and eligibility criteria with respect to communities participating in the pilot program.
(Sec. 6) Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary to review, and promulgate regulations to address, the marketing practices of air carriers that may inhibit the availability of quality, affordable air transportation services to small and medium-sized communities.
(Sec. 8) Requires major air carriers providing air service to essential airport facilities that have interline agreements involving ticketing, baggage, and ground handling, and terminal and gate access with other carriers, to provide on a nondiscriminatory basis the same services to any requesting air carrier that offers air service to a small community airport.
(Sec. 9) Directs the Secretary to issue a determination as to whether a price established by an air carrier for a route in air transportation that contains a flight segment to or from an airport dominated by the carrier ( if more than 50 percent of the daily passenger enplanements at an airport are enplanements of such carrier) is reasonable if an individual files with the Secretary a written request for such determination. Authorizes the Secretary to only determine whether such price is reasonable or unreasonable and not set a price.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
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