SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE $555,000 GRANT TO IMPROVE AIR SERVICE IN KNOX COUNTY

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $555,000 to Knox County to improve air service. The grant, awarded under the Small Community Air Service Development Program, will be used to provide eight island communities off the coast of Rockland with service to the mainland. The service would connect the islands with each other and with Rockland, Bar Harbor and Augusta on the mainland. Local sources have committed to provide additional funds and in-kind contributions to this community effort to enhance air service to the islands.

"The island communities in Knox County must have adequate air service to deal effectively with emergencies and maintain a link to the mainland," said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "This funding will go a long way towards helping Knox County keep this vital lifeline."

The Small Community Air Service Development Program helps communities address the challenges of local air service, such as high fares and insufficient levels of service. The grants will be used by communities around the country for programs such as financial incentives to air carriers, studies to determine air service needs, and marketing programs that encourage communities to use commercial carriers offering local air service.

Complete community proposals and the department's final order are available on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, docket number OST-2005-20127. A list of recipient communities and funding totals is available on www.dot.gov/affairs/chart05.htm.